Genesis 34

1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.

Then Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see the women of that region.

2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the leader of that land, had seen her, he fell in love with her. And so he seized her and slept with her, overwhelming the virgin by force.

3 And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.

And his soul was closely bound to her, and, since she was sorrowful, he soothed her with flattery.

4 So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”

And going on to Hamor, his father, he said, “Obtain this girl for me as a mate.”

5 Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.

But when Jacob had heard this, since his sons were absent and he was occupied in pasturing the cattle, he remained silent until they came back.

6 Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.

Then, when Hamor, the father of Shechem, had gone out to speak to Jacob,

7 When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

behold, his sons arrived from the field. And hearing what had happened, they were very angry, because he had done a filthy thing in Israel and, in violating a daughter of Jacob, had perpetrated an unlawful act.

8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

And so Hamor spoke to them: “The soul of my son Shechem has become attached to your daughter. Give her to him as a wife.

9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves.

And let us celebrate marriages with one with another. Give us your daughters, and receive our daughters.

10 You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”

And live with us. The land is in your power: cultivate, trade, and possess it.”

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.

And Shechem even said to her father and to her brothers: “May I find favor in your sight, and whatever you will appoint, I will give.

12 Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”

Increase the dowry, and request gifts, and I will freely bestow what you will ask. Only give me this girl as a wife.”

13 But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.

The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father with deceit, being enraged at the rape of their sister:

14 “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.

“We are not able to do what you ask, nor to give our sister to an uncircumcised man. For us, this is unlawful and abominable.

15 We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males.

But we may succeed in this, so as to be allied with you, if you are willing to become like us, and if all the male sex among you will be circumcised.

16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people.

Then we will mutually give and receive your daughters as well as ours; and we will live with you, and we will become one people.

17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and withdraw.”

18 Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.

19 The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

Neither did the young man cause any delay; in fact he immediately fulfilled what was requested. For he loved the girl very much, and he was well-known throughout his father’s house.

20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:

And entering at the gate of the city, they spoke to the people:

21 “These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them.

“These men are peaceful, and they want to live among us. Let them trade in the land and cultivate it, for, being spacious and broad, it is in need of cultivation. We will receive their daughters as wives, and we will give them ours.

22 But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are.

There is one thing that prevents so great a good: whether we will circumcise our males, imitating the ritual of their nation.

23 Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”

And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, will be ours, if only we will acquiesce to this, and so, in living together, will form one people.”

24 All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.

And they all agreed to circumcise every one of the males.

25 Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.

And behold, on the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, boldly entered the city with swords. And they put to death all of the males.

26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

They killed Hamor and Shechem together, taking their sister Dinah from the house of Shechem.

27 Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled.

And when they had departed, the other sons of Jacob rushed over the slain, and they plundered the city in vengeance for the rape.

28 They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field.

Taking their sheep, and herds, and donkeys, and laying waste to everything else that was in their houses and in their fields,

29 They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.

they also took their little ones and their wives captive.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

When they had boldly completed these acts, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: “You have troubled me, and you have made me hateful to the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few. They, gathering themselves together, may strike me down, and then both I and my house will be wiped away.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

They responded, “Should they abuse our sister like a prostitute?”