Genesis 34
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?”
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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.