KJV ORIGINAL
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
When Herod realized the wise men had basically ghosted him and weren't coming back to report Jesus's location, he completely lost it. He was so furious that he ordered his soldiers to kill every baby boy in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas — anyone two years old or younger. He based this age range on what the wise men had told him about when they first saw the star.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Herod's jealousy and fear drove him to commit an unthinkable act of violence against innocent children.
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