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 favour 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 honoured 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 towards 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® (Anglicised), NIV®
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Genesis 34
34
The Dinah Incident
1Now #Gen. 30:21Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to 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 #Gen. 20:2took her and lay with her, and violated her. 3His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. 4So Shechem #Judg. 14:2spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”
5And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob #2 Sam. 13:22held his peace until they came. 6Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he #Deut. 22:20–30; Josh. 7:15; Judg. 20:6had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, #Deut. 23:17; 2 Sam. 13:12a thing which 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 as a wife. 9And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. 10So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.”
11Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12Ask me ever so much #Ex. 22:16, 17; Deut. 22:29dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.”
13But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke #Gen. 31:7; Ex. 8:29deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is #Ex. 12:48uncircumcised, for #Josh. 5:2–9that would be a reproach to us. 15But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, 16then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone.”
18And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was #1 Chr. 4:9more honorable than all the household of his father.
20And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the #Gen. 19:1; 23:10; Ruth 4:1, 11; 2 Sam. 15:2gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: 21“These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” 24And all who #Gen. 23:10, 18went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
25Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, #Gen. 29:33, 34; 42:24; 49:5–7Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26And they #Gen. 49:5, 6killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. 27The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.
30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, #Gen. 49:6“You have #Josh. 7:25troubled me #Ex. 5:21; 1 Sam. 13:4; 2 Sam. 10:6by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; #Gen. 46:26, 27; Deut. 4:27; 1 Chr. 16:19; Ps. 105:12and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”
31But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.