Genesis 34

Simeon and Levi Deceive Shechem

1Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2Then Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her and took her and lay with her and violated her. 3#34:3 Lit His soul clungAnd he was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke to the heart of the young woman. 4So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl as a wife.” 5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent 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 it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a #34:7 Lit senselessdisgraceful thing in Israel #34:7 Lit to lieby 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; please give her to him as a wife. 9And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10Thus you shall #34:10 Lit dwelllive with us, and the land shall be open before you; #34:10 Lit dwelllive and trade in it and take possession of property in it.” 11And Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me. 12Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl as a wife.”

13But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, and thus they spoke, 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 uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. 15Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male among you be circumcised, 16then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will #34:16 Lit dwelllive with you and become one people. 17But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18Now their words seemed good in the sight of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19So the young man did not delay to do the thing because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more honored than all the household of his father. 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 peaceful with us; therefore let them #34:21 Lit dwelllive in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is #34:21 Lit wide of hands before themlarge enough for them. Let us take their daughters for us as wives and give our daughters to them. 22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to #34:22 Lit dwelllive with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Will not their livestock and what they acquire and all their cattle be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will #34:23 Lit dwelllive with us.” 24And all 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 happened 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 unsuspecting city and killed every male. 26And they killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and went away. 27Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and plundered the city because they had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks and their herds and their donkeys and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; 29and they captured and plundered all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses. 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and #34:30 Lit I, few in numbermy men being few in number, they will gather together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” 31But they said, “Should he #34:31 Or maketreat our sister as a harlot?”

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B'resheet (Gen) 34

1(v) One time Dinah the daughter of Le’ah, whom she had borne to Ya‘akov, went out to visit the local girls; 2and Sh’khem the son of Hamor the Hivi, the local ruler, saw her, grabbed her, raped her and humiliated her. 3But actually he was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Ya‘akov; he fell in love with the girl and tried to win her affection. 4Sh’khem spoke with his father Hamor and said, “Get this girl for me; I want her to be my wife.”

5When Ya‘akov heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Ya‘akov restrained himself until they came. 6Hamor the father of Sh’khem went out to Ya‘akov to speak with him 7just as Ya‘akov’s sons were coming in from the field. When they heard what had happened, the men were saddened and were very angry at the outrage this man had committed against Isra’el by raping Ya‘akov’s daughter, something that is simply not done. 8But Hamor said to them, “My son Sh’khem’s heart is set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife; 9and intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. 10You will live with us, and the land will be available to you — you’ll live, do business and acquire possessions here.”

11Then Sh’khem said to her father and brothers, “Only accept me, and I will give whatever you tell me. 12Ask as large a bride-price as you like, I’ll pay whatever you tell me. Just let me marry the girl.” 13The sons of Ya‘akov answered Sh’khem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14They said to them, “We can’t do it, because it would be a disgrace to give our sister to someone who hasn’t been circumcised. 15Only on this condition will we consent to what you are asking: that you become like us by having every male among you get circumcised. 16Then we’ll give our daughters to you, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves, and we’ll live with you and become one people. 17But if you won’t do as we say and get circumcised, then we’ll take our daughter and go away.” 18What they said seemed fair to Hamor and Sh’khem the son of Hamor, 19and the young man did not put off doing what was asked of him, even though he was the most respected member of his father’s family, because he so much wanted Ya‘akov’ s daughter.

20Hamor and Sh’khem his son came to the entrance of their city and spoke with its leading men: 21“These people are peaceful toward us; therefore let them live in the land and do business in it; for, as you can see, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives for ourselves, and we’ll give them our daughters. 22But the people will consent to live with us and become one people only on this condition: that every male among us gets circumcised, as they themselves are circumcised. 23Won’t their cattle, their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let’s consent to do what they ask, and then they will live with us.” 24Everyone going out the city’s gate listened to Hamor and Sh’khem his son; so every male was circumcised, every one that went out the gate of the city.

25On the third day after the circumcision, when they were in pain, two of Ya‘akov’s sons, Shim‘on and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords, boldly descended on the city and slaughtered all the males. 26They killed Hamor and Sh’khem his son with their swords, took Dinah out of Sh’khem’s house, and left. 27Then the sons of Ya‘akov entered over the dead bodies of those who had been slaughtered and plundered the city in reprisal for defiling their sister. 28They took their flocks, cattle and donkeys, and everything else, whether in the city or in the field, 29everything they owned. Their children and wives they took captive, and they looted whatever was in the houses.

30But Ya‘akov said to Shim‘on and Levi, “You have caused me trouble by making me stink in the opinion of the local inhabitants, the Kena‘ani and the P’rizi. Since I don’t have many people, they’ll align themselves together against me and attack me; and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” 31They replied, “Should we let our sister be treated like a whore?”

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