John was baptizing in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism about repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Now John was dressed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist. He ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Now after John had been arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and proclaimed the gospel about the kingdom of God.

Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat repairing their nets.

After they left the synagogue, they went directly to the house of Simon and Andrew, along with James and John.

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees would fast regularly. Some people came and asked Jesus, "Why do John's disciples and the Pharisees' disciples fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

Zebedee's sons James and his brother John (whom he named Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder),

Jesus allowed no one to go further with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

King Herod heard about this, because Jesus' name had become well-known. He was saying, "John the Baptist has been raised from the dead! That's why he is able to do these miracles."

But when Herod heard about it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised,"

because Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom Herod had married.

John had been telling Herod, "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she couldn't do it

because Herod was afraid of John. He knew that John was a righteous and holy man, and so he protected him. Whenever he listened to John, he did much of what he said. In fact, he liked listening to him.

So she went out and asked her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother replied, "The head of John the Baptist."

Immediately the girl hurried back to the king with her request, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

So without delay the king sent a soldier and ordered him to bring John's head. The soldier went and beheaded him in prison.

Then he brought John's head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

When John's disciples heard about this, they came and carried off his body and laid it in a tomb.

They answered him, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets."

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them,

John told Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name. We tried to stop him, because he wasn't a follower like us."

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus and told him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask you."

When the ten other disciples heard this, they began to be furious with James and John.

Was John's authority to baptize from heaven or from humans? Answer me."

But if we say, "From humans'"?" They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone really thought John was a prophet.

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives facing the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew were asking him privately,

He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to feel distressed and troubled.