< Genesis 34 >

1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country.
2 And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her.
And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin.
3 And his soul fastened on Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the maiden, and spoke consolingly to the maiden.
And his soul was fast knit unto her, and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words.
4 And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, Take me this girl as wife.
And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife.
5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his cattle in the fields, and Jacob said nothing until they came.
But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.
6 And Hamor the father of Shechem came out to Jacob, to speak to him.
And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob,
7 And the sons of Jacob came from the fields when they heard [it]; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had wrought what was disgraceful in Israel, in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done.
Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had passed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing Jacob’s daughter,
8 And Hamor spoke to them, saying, My son Shechem's soul cleaves to your daughter: I pray you, give her to him as wife.
And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife:
9 And make marriages with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to you.
And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters and take you our daughters,
10 And dwell with us, and the land shall be before you: dwell and trade in it, and get yourselves possessions in it.
And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it.
11 And Shechem said to her father and to her brethren, Let me find favour in your eyes; and what ye shall say to me I will give.
Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight: and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give.
12 Impose on me very much as dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say to me; but give me the maiden as wife.
Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.
13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spoke — because he had defiled Dinah their sister —
The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:
14 and said to them, We cannot do this, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that [were] a reproach to us.
We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, which with us is unlawful and abominable.
15 But only in this will we consent to you, if ye will be as we, that every male of you be circumcised;
But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised:
16 then will we give our daughters to you, and take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and be one people.
Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours: and we will dwell with you, and will be one people:
17 But if ye do not hearken to us, to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter and go away.
But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart:
18 And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.
Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem his son:
19 And the youth did not delay to do this, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter. And he was honourable above all in the house of his father.
And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required, for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father’s house.
20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke to the men of their city, saying,
And going into the gate of the city they spoke to the people:
21 These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade in it. And the land — behold, it is of wide extent before them. We will take their daughters as wives, and give them our daughters.
These men are peaceable and willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and we will give them ours.
22 But only in this will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people — if every male among us be circumcised, just as they are circumcised.
One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation.
23 Their cattle, and their possessions, and every beast of theirs, shall they not be ours? only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.
And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, shall be ours: only in this let us condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people.
24 And all that went out at the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised — all that went out at the gate of his city.
And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males.
25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
And behold the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dina, taking their swords, entered boldly into the city, and slew all the men:
26 And Hamor and Shechem his son they slew with the edge of the sword; and took Dinah out of Shechem's house; and went out.
And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister Dina, out of Sichem’s house.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape.
28 Their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and what [was] in the city, and what [was] in the field they took;
And they took their sheep and their herds and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in the fields.
29 and all their goods, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and plundered them, and all that was in the houses.
And their children and wives they took captive,
30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, in that ye make me odious among the inhabitants of the land — among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I am few men in number, and they will gather themselves against me and smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the Chanaanites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land: we are few: they will gather themselves together and kill me; and both I, and my house, shall be destroyed.
31 And they said, Should people deal with our sister as with a harlot?
They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet?

< Genesis 34 >