Genesis 34
Common English Bible
34 Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to meet the women of that country. 2 When Shechem the son of the Hivite Hamor and the country’s prince saw her, he took her, slept with her, and humiliated her. 3 He was drawn to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He loved the young woman and tried to win her heart. 4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get this girl for me as my wife.” 5 Now Jacob heard that Shechem defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with the animals in the countryside, so he decided to keep quiet until they got back. 6 Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem’s father, went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 Just then, Jacob’s sons got back from the countryside. When they heard what had happened, they were deeply offended and very angry, because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter. Such things are simply not done.
8 Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem’s heart is set on your daughter. Please let him marry her. 9 Arrange marriages with us: give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 Live with us. The land is available to you: settle down, travel through it, and buy property in it.”
11 Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “If you approve of me, tell me what you want, and I will give it to you. 12 Make the bride price and marriage gifts as large as you like, and I will pay whatever you tell me. Then let me marry the young woman.”
13 Jacob’s sons responded deviously to Shechem and his father Hamor because Shechem defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do this, allowing our sisters to marry uncircumcised men, because it’s disgraceful to us. 15 We can only agree to do this if you circumcise every male as we do. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves. We will live with you and be one people. 17 But if you don’t listen to us and become circumcised, we will take our daughter and leave.”
18 Their idea seemed like a good one to Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. 19 The young man didn’t waste any time doing this because he liked Jacob’s daughter so much. He was more respected than anyone else in his father’s household. 20 Hamor and his son Shechem went to their city’s gate and spoke to the men of their city: 21 “These men want peace with us. Let them live in the land and travel through it; there’s plenty of land for them. We will marry their daughters and give them our daughters. 22 But the men will agree to live with us and become one people only if we circumcise every male just as they do. 23 Their livestock, their property, and all of their animals—won’t they be ours? Let’s agree with them and let them live with us.” 24 Everyone at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, so every able-bodied male in the city was circumcised.
25 On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons and Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi took their swords, came into the city, which suspected nothing, and killed every male. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s household, and left. 27 When Jacob’s other sons discovered the dead, they looted the city that had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks, their cattle, and their donkeys, whether in the city or in the fields nearby. 29 They carried off their property, their children, and their wives. They looted the entire place. 30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You’ve put me in danger by making me offensive to those who live here in the land, to the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have only a few men. They may join forces, attack me, and destroy me, me and my household.”
31 They said, “But didn’t he treat our sister like a prostitute?”
Genesis 34
Revised Geneva Translation
34 Then Dinah (the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob), went out to see the daughters of that country.
2 When Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite (lord of that country), saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her.
3 So, his heart desired Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. And he loved the maid and spoke kindly to the maid.
4 Then Shechem said to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this maid to wife.”
5 Now, Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field. Therefore, Jacob held his peace until they had come.
6 Then, Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him.
7 And when the sons of Jacob had come out of the field and heard it, it grieved the men. They were very angry because he had brought disgrace in Israel in that he had laid with Jacob’s daughter, which ought not to be done.
8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as wife.
9 “So make marriages with us, give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to you.
10 “And you shall dwell with us; and the land shall be before you. Dwell and do your business in it and have your possessions therein.”
11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes; and I will give whatever you shall appoint to me.
12 “Ask of me abundantly both dowry and gifts; and I will give as you appoint to me, so that you give the maid to me as wife.”
13 Then, the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor, his father, talking deceitfully because he had defiled their sister.
14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to an uncircumcised man, for that would be a reproach to us.
15 “But we will consent to you in this: if you will be as we are, in that every male child among you be circumcised.
16 “Then we will give our daughters to you. And we will take your daughters to us. And will dwell with you and be one people.
17 “But, if you will not listen to us (to be circumcised), then we will take our daughter and depart.”
18 Now their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.
19 And the young man did not hesitate to do the thing because he loved Jacob’s daughter. He was also the most honorable of all his father’s house.
20 Then Hamor and Shechem, his son, went to the gate of their city and communed with the men of their city, saying,
21 “These men are peaceable with us. And in order for them to dwell in the land and do their affairs therein (for behold, the land has enough room for them), let us take their daughters as wives and give them our daughters.
22 “Only herein will the men consent to dwell with us and to be one people: if all the male children among us are circumcised, as they are circumcised.
23 “Shall not their flocks and their substance and all their cattle be ours? Only, let us consent to them; and they will dwell with us.”
24 And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and Shechem, his son. And all the male children were circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
25 And on the third day (while they were sore) two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, both took sword and went boldly into the city and killed every male.
26 They also killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went their way.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28 They took their sheep and their cattle and their donkeys and whatever was in the city and in the fields.
29 Also, they took captives and plundered all their goods and all their children and their wives and all that was in the houses.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me and made me stink among the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And they shall gather themselves together against us (we being few in number) and kill me; and so shall I and my house be destroyed.”
31 And they answered, “Should he abuse our sister as a whore?”
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