Tuesday, September 1

⁷Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸He instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— ⁹and to put on sandals but not to wear two tunics. ¹⁰He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the area. ¹¹If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹²So they went out and preached that all should repent. ¹³They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with olive oil and healed them.

¹⁴Now King Herod heard this, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” ¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” ¹⁷For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. ¹⁸For John had repeatedly told Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not ²⁰because Herod stood in awe of John and protected him, since he knew that John was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, and yet he liked to listen to John.

²¹But a suitable day came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. ²²When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” ²³He swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” ²⁴So she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother said, “The head of John the baptizer.” ²⁵Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” ²⁶Although it grieved the king deeply, he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. ²⁷So the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. ²⁸He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹When John’s disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

³⁰Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. ³¹He said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while” (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat). ³²So they went away by themselves in a boat to some remote place. ³³But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of them. ³⁴As Jesus came ashore he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.

³⁵When it was already late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is an isolated place and it is already very late. ³⁶Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” ³⁷But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “Should we go and buy bread for 200 silver coins and give it to them to eat?” ³⁸He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” ³⁹Then he directed them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to his disciples to serve the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³and they picked up the broken pieces and fish that were left over, 12 baskets full. ⁴⁴Now there were 5,000 men who ate the bread.