Genesis 34
34
Dinah and the Shechemites
1Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her. 3His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 4And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”
5When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, 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. 7Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in#34:7 Or against Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
8But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade#34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21 in it, and acquire property in it.”
11Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. 12Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”
13Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. 15We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. 16Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. 17But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”
18Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. 20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. 21“These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. 22But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. 23Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”
24All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.
25Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. 26They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. 27The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where#34:27 Or because their sister had been defiled. 28They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. 29They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
31But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
Genesis 34
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?
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.