Genesis 34

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?

Genesis 34

1 NOW DINAH daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out [unattended] to see the girls of the place.

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

3 But his soul longed for and clung to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke comfortingly to her young heart's wishes.

4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, Get me this girl to be my wife.

5 Jacob heard that [Shechem] had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field. So Jacob held his peace until they came.

6 But Hamor father of Shechem went out to Jacob to have a talk with him.

7 When Jacob's sons heard it, they came from the field; and they were distressed and grieved and very angry, for [Shechem] had done a vile thing to Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter, which ought not to be done.

8 And Hamor conferred with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem craves your daughter [and sister]. I beg of you give her to him to be his wife.

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

10 You shall dwell with us; the country will be open to you; live and trade and get your possessions in it.

11 And Shechem said to [Dinah's] father and to her brothers, Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask of me.

12 Ask me ever so much dowry and [marriage] gift, and I will give according to what you tell me; only give me the girl to be my wife.

13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, [justifying their intended action by saying, in effect, we are going to do this] because Shechem had defiled and disgraced their sister Dinah.

14 They said to them, We cannot do this thing and give our sister to one who is not circumcised, for that would be a reproach and disgrace to us.

15 But we do consent to do this: if you will become as we are and every male among you be circumcised,

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

17 But if you will not listen to us and consent to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.

18 Their words pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.

19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, for he delighted in Jacob's daughter. He was honored above all his family [so, ranking first, he acted first].

20 Then Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their [enclosed] town and discussed the matter with the citizens, saying,

21 These men are peaceable with us; so let them dwell in the land and trade in it; for the land is large enough [for us and] for them; let us take their daughters for wives and let us give them our daughters.

22 But the men will consent to our request that they live among us and be one people only on condition that every male among us be circumcised, as they are.

23 Shall not their cattle and their possessions and all their beasts be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell here with us.

24 And all the people who went out of the town gate listened and heeded what Hamor and Shechem said; and every male was circumcised who was a resident of that town.

25 But on the third day [after the circumcision] when [all the men] were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's [full] brothers, took their swords, boldly entered the city [without danger], and slew all the males.

26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house [where she had been all this time] and departed.

27 [Then the rest of] Jacob's [eleven] sons came upon the slain and plundered the town, because there their sister had been defiled and disgraced.

28 They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the town and in the field;

29 All their wealth and all their little ones and their wives they took captive, making spoil even of all [they found] in the houses.

30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have ruined me, making me infamous and embroiling me with the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites! And we are few in number, and they will gather together against me and attack me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my household.

31 And they said, Should he [be permitted to] deal with our sister as with a harlot?

Choose your language

Genesis 34