第二拿撒勒人︰祂出現在各個地方，主人，但卻很難找到祂。
第一拿撒勒人︰有人說祂現正在撒瑪利亞(Samaria)。
猶太人︰很容易看出祂不是彌賽亞，如果祂是彌賽亞，彌賽亞是不該到撒瑪利亞去的。撒瑪利亞人全都受到詛咒。因為他們從不向教會捐獻。
第二拿撒勒人︰幾天后，祂離開了撒瑪利亞。我想就在此刻，祂應該到了耶路撒冷附近。
第一拿撒勒人︰不；祂不在那兒。我剛從耶路撒冷來。兩個月來，祂未曾在那兒引起風潮。
希律王︰無所謂！就派人去找祂，告訴祂我的話，我不允許祂讓人復活！將水變成酒，醫治痲瘋病人與瞎子……如果祂真有這方面的能耐，卻也無妨。我說不准違反這道命令。實際上我認為治愈痲瘋病人是件好事。但我不允許任何死人復活。如果死人回來的話，那麼這世界就太可怕了。
約翰的聲音︰啊！淫婦！蕩女！啊！巴比崙的女兒，金色的眼睛與華飾的眼皮！上帝如是說，讓她與她的一群男人混在一起。讓人們拾起石頭擲向她……
希羅底︰命令他住口。
約翰的聲音︰讓百夫長用劍刺穿她的身軀，讓他們用盾牌壓擠她。
希羅底︰不，這太無恥了。
約翰的聲音︰於是我將掃除大地上一切邪惡，所有的女子將因此學習到，不該仿效她的不義。
希羅底︰你聽到他如何說我嗎？你容許他辱罵你的妻子？
希律王︰他並未指名妳。
希羅底︰那有什麼差別？你清楚地知道他侮辱的人就是我。而我是你的妻子，不是嗎？
希律王︰沒錯，親愛與高貴的希羅底呀，妳是我的妻子，而先前妳是我兄弟的妻。
希羅底︰是你將我從他的臂里拆散，而變為你的妻子。
希律王︰是的，我是強者……但我們不要談論此事。我不想談。這就是那先知所說的可怕事情。或許再提及這事，將會有另一件不幸發生。我們不要談論此事。高貴的希羅底呀，我們怠慢了客人。斟滿我的酒杯，我最鍾愛的酒。將酒注滿我的銀色酒杯，那些高雅的玻璃杯。我向西澤致意。有羅馬人在場，我們敬西澤。
一同︰敬西澤！敬西澤！
希律王︰妳看見妳的女兒了嗎，她的臉色多麼蒼白？
希羅底︰她的臉色蒼白與你何干？
希律王︰我從未見她如此蒼白。
希羅底︰你不應再看著她。
約翰的聲音︰當那天來臨時，太陽會像是深黑的麻布絲，月亮會變成血紅，而天上眾星將像成熟的無花果掉落大地，地上的諸王將恐懼莫名。
希羅底︰啊！啊！我倒想瞧瞧他所說的那種景象，月亮變紅，眾星如無花果掉落大地。先知像醉漢一般瘋言瘋語……但我無法忍受他的聲音。我討厭他的聲音。叫他住口。
希律王︰恕難遵從。我雖然不懂他所說的，但我覺得那或許是預兆。
希羅底︰我不相信預兆。他像醉漢一般瘋言瘋語。
希律王︰或許他飲了上帝的酒而醉了。
希羅底︰你在說什麼，上帝的酒？哪個葡萄園產出的？那個酒廠可找到？
希律王︰〔從現在開始，他眼睛盯著莎樂美〕提格利奴斯，你最近一次在羅馬時，皇帝是否曾對你說過……？
提格利奴斯︰提過什麼呢，陛下？
希律王︰提過什麼？啊！我問過你，不是嗎？我忘了我問過你什麼事。
希羅底︰你又再望著我的女兒了。你不能再看她。我對你說過了。
希律王︰妳沒別的好說了嗎？
希羅底︰我再說一次。
希律王︰他們一直在談論修復神廟的事，難道還會有其它的問題嗎？他們聖堂的帳幔消失了，真有此事嗎？
SECOND NAZARENE
He is in every place, my lord, but it is hard to find Him.
FIRST NAZARENE
It is said that He is now in Samaria.
A JEW
It is easy to see that this is not Messias, if He is in Samaria. It is not to the Samaritans that Messias shall come. The Samaritans are accursed. They bring no offerings to the Temple.
SECOND NAZARENE
He left Samaria a few days since. I think that at the present moment He is in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem.
FIRST NAZARENE
No; He is not there. I have just come from Jerusalem. For two months they have had no tidings of Him.
HEROD
No matter! But let them find Him, and tell Him, thus saith Herod the King, "I will not suffer Thee to raise the dead." To change water into wine, to heal the lepers and the blind . . . . He may do these things if He will. I say nothing against these things. In truth I hold it a kindly deed to heal a leper. But no man shall raise the
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dead . . . . It would be terrible if the dead came back.
THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN
Ah! The wanton one! The harlot! Ah! the daughter of Babylon with her golden eyes and her gilded eyelids! Thus saith the Lord God, Let there come up against her a multitude of men. Let the people take stones and stone her . . . .
HERODIAS
Command him to be silent!
THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN
Let the captains of the hosts pierce her with their swords, let them crush her beneath their shields.
HERODIAS
Nay, but it is infamous.
THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN
It is thus that I will wipe out all wickedness from the earth, and that all women shall learn not to imitate her abominations.
HERODIAS
You hear what he says against me? You suffer him to revile her who is your wife!
HEROD
He did not speak your name.
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HERODIAS
What does that matter? You know well that it is I whom he seeks to revile. And I am your wife, am I not?
HEROD
Of a truth, dear and noble Herodias, you are my wife, and before that you were the wife of my brother.
HERODIAS
It was thou didst snatch me from his arms.
HEROD
Of a truth I was stronger than he was . . . . But let us not talk of that matter. I do not desire to talk of it. It is the cause of the terrible words that the prophet has spoken. Peradventure on account of it a misfortune will come. Let us not speak of this matter. Noble Herodias, we are not mindful of our guests. Fill thou my cup, my well-beloved. Ho! fill with wine the great goblets of silver, and the great goblets of glass. I will drink to C?sar. There are Romans here, we must drink to C?sar.
ALL
C?sar! C?sar!
HEROD
Do you not see your daughter, how pale she is?
HERODIAS
What is it to you if she be pale or not?
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HEROD
Never have I seen her so pale.
HERODIAS
You must not look at her.
THE VOICE OF IOKANAAN
In that day the sun shall become black like sackcloth of hair, and the moon shall become like blood, and the stars of the heaven shall fall upon the earth like unripe figs that fall from the fig-tree, and the kings of the earth shall be afraid.
HERODIAS
Ah! ah! I should like to see that day of which he speaks, when the moon shall become like blood, and when the stars shall fall upon the earth like unripe figs. This prophet talks like a drunken man, . . . but I cannot suffer the sound of his voice. I hate his voice. Command him to be silent.
HEROD
I will not. I cannot understand what it is that he saith, but it may be an omen.
HERODIAS
I do not believe in omens. He speaks like a drunken man.
HEROD
It may be he is drunk with the wine of God.
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HERODIAS
What wine is that, the wine of God? From what vineyards is it gathered? In what wine-press may one find it?
HEROD
[From this point he looks all the while at Salome.]
Tigellinus, when you were at Rome of late, did the Emperor speak with you on the subject of . . .?
TIGELLINUS
On what subject, my lord?
HEROD
On what subject? Ah! I asked you a question, did I not? I have forgotten what I would have asked you.
HERODIAS
You are looking again at my daughter. You must not look at her. I have already said so.
HEROD
You say nothing else.
HERODIAS
I say it again.
HEROD
And that restoration of the Temple about which they have talked so much, will anything be done? They say that the veil of the Sanctuary has disappeared, do they not?