Matthew 14:1-13

¹ At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, ² and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.” ³ For Herod had laid hold of John, and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. ⁴ For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ When he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. ⁶ But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced among them and pleased Herod. ⁷ Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask. ⁸ She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.” ⁹ The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given, ¹⁰ and he sent and beheaded John in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter, and given to the young lady: and she brought it to her mother. ¹² His disciples came, and took the body, and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. ¹³ Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat, to a deserted place apart. When the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities.

1 Corinthians 6:20-7:12

²⁰ for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. ¹ Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. ² But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³ Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife her husband. ⁴ The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife. ⁵ Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶ But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. ⁷ Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind. ⁸ But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. ⁹ But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn. ¹⁰ But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband ¹¹ (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife. ¹² But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her.