Genesis 34

1 And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country.

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

2 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.

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

3 And his soul was fast knit unto her, and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words.

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

4 And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife.

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

5 But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.

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.

6 And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob,

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

7 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,

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.

8 And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife:

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

9 And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters and take you our daughters,

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

10 And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it.

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

11 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.

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

12 Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.

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

13 The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:

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

14 We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, which with us is unlawful and abominable.

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

15 But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised:

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

16 Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours: and we will dwell with you, and will be one people:

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

17 But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart:

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

18 Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem his son:

Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

19 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.

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.

20 And going into the gate of the city they spoke to the people:

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

21 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.

“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.

22 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.

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.

23 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.

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

24 And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males.

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.

25 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:

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.

26 And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, and took away their sister Dina, out of Sichem’s house.

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

27 And when they were gone out, the other sons of Jacob came upon the slain; and plundered the city in revenge of the rape.

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

28 And they took their sheep and their herds and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in the fields.

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

29 And their children and wives they took captive,

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

30 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.

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.”

31 They answered: Should they abuse our sister as a strumpet?

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