Tuesday, August 3

20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

1Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

3Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

5Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

6But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.

7For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

8But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;

9but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband.

11But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

12But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus

2and said to his servants, 'This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.'

3For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.

4Because John had said to him, 'It is not lawful for you to have her.'

5And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

6But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.

7Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

8So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, 'Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter.'

9And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.

10So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.

11And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

12Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

13When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities.