Genesis 34

1Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to meet the women of that country. 2When Shechem the son of the Hivite Hamor and the country’s prince saw her, he took her, slept with her, and humiliated her. 3He was drawn to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He loved the young woman and tried to win her heart. 4Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get this girl for me as my wife.” 5Now 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. 6Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem’s father, went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7Just 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.

8Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem’s heart is set on your daughter. Please let him marry her. 9Arrange marriages with us: give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10Live with us. The land is available to you: settle down, travel through it, and buy property in it.”

11Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “If you approve of me, tell me what you want, and I will give it to you. 12Make 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.”

13Jacob’s sons responded deviously to Shechem and his father Hamor because Shechem defiled their sister Dinah. 14They said to them, “We can’t do this, allowing our sisters to marry uncircumcised men, because it’s disgraceful to us. 15We can only agree to do this if you circumcise every male as we do. 16Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves. We will live with you and be one people. 17But if you don’t listen to us and become circumcised, we will take our daughter and leave.”

18Their idea seemed like a good one to Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. 19The 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. 20Hamor 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. 22But the men will agree to live with us and become one people only if we circumcise every male just as they do. 23Their livestock, their property, and all of their animals—won’t they be ours? Let’s agree with them and let them live with us.” 24Everyone at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, so every able-bodied male in the city was circumcised.

25On 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. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s household, and left. 27When Jacob’s other sons discovered the dead, they looted the city that had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks, their cattle, and their donkeys, whether in the city or in the fields nearby. 29They carried off their property, their children, and their wives. They looted the entire place. 30Jacob 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.”

31They said, “But didn’t he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

Genesis 34

1¶ And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she gave birth unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

2And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her.

3And his soul was joined unto Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he fell in love with the damsel and spoke unto her heart.

4And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

5And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob remained silent until they were come.

6¶ And Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out unto Jacob to speak with him.

7And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done.

8And Hamor spoke with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem is joined to your daughter; I pray you give her to him as wife.

9And make ye marriages with us and give your daughters unto us and take our daughters unto you.

10And ye shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein and take you possessions therein.

11And Shechem also said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.

12Ask me for as much dowry and gift as ye desire, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the damsel to wife.

13And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully and talked because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

14And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, for among us that is a reproach.

15But with this condition we will consent unto you: If ye will become as we are that every male of you be circumcised,

16then we will give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

17But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.

18¶ And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

19And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter and he was the most honourable of all the house of his father.

20Then Hamor and Shechem, his son, came unto the gate of their city and communed with the men of their city, saying,

21These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

22Only with this condition will these men consent to dwell with us that we may be one people: if every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised.

23 Shall not their livestock and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? Only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

24And unto Hamor and unto Shechem, his son, hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

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 man his sword and came upon the city boldly and slew all the males.

26And they slew Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

27The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and spoiled the city because they had defiled their sister.

28They took their sheep and their oxen and their asses and that which was in the city and that which was in the field

29and all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives they took captive and spoiled even all that was in the house.

30And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

31And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?

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Genesis 34

Genesis 34