KJV ORIGINAL
But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
But Queen Vashti refused to come when the king commanded her through his servants. Because of this, the king became extremely angry, and his fury burned inside him.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Queen Vashti boldly refused King Xerxes' command to appear before his guests, which made the king furious.
📚 Historical Context
This took place during a massive 180-day feast that King Xerxes (also called Ahasuerus) held for all his nobles and officials across his vast Persian empire around 483 BC. The king had been drinking for seven days when he commanded Queen Vashti to display her beauty before his male guests, likely wearing her royal crown. Her refusal was seen as a direct challenge to his absolute authority as king.
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