Genesis 34
34
1Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land; 2and when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humbled her. 3And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob; he loved the maiden and spoke tenderly to her. 4So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this maiden for my wife.” 5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with his cattle in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard of it; and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had wrought folly in Israel by lying 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; I pray you, give her to him in marriage. 9Make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You shall dwell with us; and the land shall be open to you; dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.” 11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12Ask of me ever so much as marriage present and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; only give me the maiden to be my wife.”
13The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15Only on this condition will we consent to you: that you will become as we are and every male of you be circumcised. 16Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. 17But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.”
18Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor's son Shechem. 19And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his family. 20So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21“These men are friendly with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters in marriage, and let us give them our daughters. 22Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Will not their cattle, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.” 24And all who went out of the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and his son Shechem; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
25On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came upon the city unawares, and killed all the males. 26They slew Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away. 27And the sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled; 28they took their flocks and their herds, their asses, and whatever was in the city and in the field; 29all their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and made their prey. 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites; my numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.” 31But they said, “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?”
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
Genesis 34
34
1And Dinah 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, the prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and humbled her. 3And his soul fastened on Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the maiden, and spoke consolingly to the maiden. 4And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, Take me this girl as wife. 5And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his cattle in the fields, and Jacob said nothing until they came.
6And Hamor the father of Shechem came out to Jacob, to speak to him. 7And the sons of Jacob came from the fields when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had wrought what was disgraceful in Israel, in lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done. 8And Hamor spoke to them, saying, My son Shechem's soul cleaves to your daughter: I pray you, give her to him as wife. 9And make marriages with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to you. 10And dwell with us, and the land shall be before you: dwell and trade in it, and get yourselves possessions in it. 11And Shechem said to her father and to her brethren, Let me find favour in your eyes; and what ye shall say to me I will give. 12Impose on me very much as dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say to me; but give me the maiden as wife. 13And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and spoke — because he had defiled Dinah their sister — 14and said to them, We cannot do this, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach to us. 15But only in this will we consent to you, if ye will be as we, that every male of you be circumcised; 16then will we give our daughters to you, and take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and be one people. 17But if ye do not hearken to us, to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter and go away.
18And their words were good in the eyes of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son. 19And the youth did not delay to do this, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter. And he was honourable above all in the house of his father. 20And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade in it. And the land — behold, it is of wide extent before them. We will take their daughters as wives, and give them our daughters. 22But only in this will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to be one people — if every male among us be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. 23Their cattle, and their possessions, and every beast of theirs, shall they not be ours? only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us. 24And all that went out at the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised — all that went out at the gate of his city.
25And 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 his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. 26And Hamor and Shechem his son they slew 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 plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28Their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and what was in the city, and what was in the field they took; 29and all their goods, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and plundered them, and all that was in the houses. 30And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, in that ye make me odious among the inhabitants of the land — among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I am few men in number, and they will gather themselves against me and smite me, and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. 31And they said, Should people deal with our sister as with a harlot?
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.