20 kuba uHerode wayemoyika uYohane, emazi ukuba uyindoda elungileyo, engcwele, waza wambeka elugcinweni. UHerode wayethanda ukumphulaphula uYohane, nangona wayedideka kakhulu akumva.
21 Lada ke lafika ithuba elihle kuHerodiya. Yayisisikhumbuzo sokuzalwa kukaHerode, waza wazenzela itheko izikhulu zakhe, neenjengele zakhe, namanene elaseGalili.
22 Yangena ke intombi kaHerodiya, yangqungqa yamkholisa uHerode nabo babesethekweni kunye naye. Waza ukumkani wathi kwintombi leyo: “Cela nantoni na oyifunayo; ndokupha.”
23 Wafunga esithi: “Into othe wayicela kum ndokupha, nokuba sisiqingatha sobukumkani bam.”
24 Yaphuma ke intombi, yaya kunina, yathi: “Ndicelè ntoni, mama?”Wathi yena: “Cela intloko kaYohane umbhaptizi.”
25 Kwangoko intombi leyo yaya kungena ngokungxama kukumkani, yacela isithi: “Ndifuna undinike intloko kaYohane umbhaptizi ngesitya ngoku.”
26 Waba buhlungu kakhulu ukumkani, kodwa akabanga nakulandula, kuba wayefunge phambi kwabo bonke ababesethekweni.