'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
Who shall prepare thy way before thee.'
"I say unto you, Among those who are born of women there is none greater than John: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
"Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? They are like unto children who sit in the marketplace, and call one to another; who say, 'We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not weep.' For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, 'He hath a demon.' The Son of man is come eating and [{154}] drinking; and ye say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!' And wisdom is justified of all her children."
The Cruel Murder of John.
When a convenient day was come, Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee; and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those who sat at meat with him; and the king said unto the maiden, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee."
And he swore unto her, "Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom."
And she went out, and said unto her mother, "What shall I ask?"
And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."
And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, "I wish that thou forthwith give me in a platter the head of John the Baptist."
And the king was exceeding sorry; but for the sake of his promises, and of those who sat and feasted with him, he would not reject her. And straightway the king sent forth a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring the head of John: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a platter, and gave it to the maiden; and the maiden gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard thereof, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.