Genesis 34

Simeon and Levi Kill the Men of Shechem

1Dinah was the daughter Leah had by Jacob. Dinah went out to visit the women of the land. 2Hamor, the Hivite, was the ruler of that area. When his son Shechem saw Dinah, he took her and raped her. 3Then he longed for Jacob’s daughter Dinah. He fell in love with her and spoke tenderly to her. 4Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me that young woman. I want her to be my wife.”

5Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been raped. His sons were in the fields with his livestock. So he did nothing about it until they came home.

6Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. 7Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields. They came as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and very angry. Shechem had done a very terrible thing. He had forced Jacob’s daughter to have sex with him. He had done something that should never be done in Israel.

8But Hamor said to Jacob and his sons, “My son Shechem wants your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife. 9Let your people and ours get married to each other. Give us your daughters as our wives. You can have our daughters as your wives. 10You can live among us. Here is the land. Live in it. Trade in it. Buy property in it.”

11Then Shechem spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. He said, “I want to please you. I’ll give you anything you ask for. 12Make the price for the bride as high as you want to. I’ll pay you whatever you ask. Just give me the young woman. I want to marry her.”

13Their sister Dinah had been raped. So Jacob’s sons lied to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14They said to them, “We can’t do it. We can’t give our sister to a man who isn’t circumcised. That would bring shame on us. 15We’ll agree, but only on one condition. You will have to become like us. You will have to circumcise all your males. 16Then we’ll give you our daughters as your wives. And we’ll take your daughters as our wives. We’ll live among you and become one big family with you. 17But if you won’t agree to be circumcised, then we’ll take our sister and go.”

18Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19The young man was the most honored of all his father’s family. He didn’t lose any time in doing what Dinah’s father and brothers had said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. 20Hamor and his son Shechem went to the city gate. They spoke to the other men there. 21“These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land. Let them trade in it. The land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters. And they can marry ours. 22But they will agree to live with us as one big family only on one condition. All our males must be circumcised, just as they are. 23Won’t their livestock and their property belong to us? Won’t all their animals become ours? So let’s say yes to them. Then they’ll live among us.”

24All the men who went out through the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem. So every male in the city was circumcised.

25Three days later, all of them were still in pain. Then Simeon and Levi took their swords. They were Jacob’s sons and Dinah’s brothers. They attacked the city when the people didn’t expect it. They killed every male. 26They also used their swords to kill Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. 27Jacob’s other sons found the dead bodies. They robbed the city where their sister had been raped. 28They took the flocks and herds and donkeys. They took everything in the city and in the fields. 29They carried everything away. And they took all the women and children. They took away everything in the houses.

30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me. Now I’m like a very bad smell to the Canaanites and Perizzites who live in this land. There aren’t many of us. They may join together against me and attack me. Then I and my family will be destroyed.”

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

Genesis 34

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

2And 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.

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

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

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

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

7Behold, 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.

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

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

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

11Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favor in your sight: and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give.

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

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

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

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

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

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

18Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem his son.

19And 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.

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

21These 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.

22One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation.

23And 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.

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

25And, 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:

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

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

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

29And their children and wives they took captive,

30And 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.

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

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Genesis 34

Genesis 34