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

The Treachery of Jacob’s Sons

1Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to #34.1: Lit seevisit the daughters of the land. 2When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her and raped her. 3But #34.3: Lit His soul clunghe was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and #34.3: Lit spoke to the heart of the girlspoke tenderly to her. 4So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.” 5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob said nothing until they came in. 6Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard about it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a #34.7: Lit senselessdisgraceful thing in Israel by #34.7: I.e., violating hersleeping with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

8But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him #34.8: Lit for a wifein marriage. 9And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10So you will live with us, and the land shall be #34.10: Lit before youopen to you; live and trade in it and acquire property in it.” 11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and I will give whatever you tell me. 12Demand of me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give whatever you tell me; but give me the girl #34.12: Lit for a wifein marriage.”

13But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, that is, give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you will be circumcised, 16then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you and become one people. 17But if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18Now their words seemed #34.18: Lit goodreasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19The young man did not delay to do #34.19: Lit the thingthis, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father. 20So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the people of their city, saying, 21“These men are #34.21: Lit peacefulfriendly to us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is #34.21: Lit wide of hands before themlarge enough for them. We will take their daughters #34.21: Lit to us for wivesin marriage, and give our daughters to them. 22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 23Will their livestock and their property and all their animals not be ours? Let’s just consent to them, and they will live with us.” 24All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons—Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers—each took his sword and came upon the city undetected, and killed every male. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 27Jacob’s sons came upon those killed and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks, their herds, and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; 29and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even everything that was in the houses. 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me repulsive among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and #34.30: Lit I, few in numbersince my men are few in number, they will band together against me and #34.30: Lit strikeattack me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household!” 31But they said, “Should he #34.31: Or maketreat our sister like a prostitute?”

Choose your language

Genesis 34