Genesis 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.

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Genesis 34

CHAPTER 34

1Forsooth Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see the women of that country.

2And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of that land, had seen her, he loved her, and he ravished her, and slept with her, and oppressed the virgin by violence.

3And his soul was bound fast with her, and he pleased her sorry with flatterings.

4And he went to Hamor, his father, and said, Take to me this damsel for a wife.

5And when Jacob had heard this thing, while his sons were absent, and occupied in the feeding or the pasturing of [the] sheep, he was still, till they came again.

6Soothly when Hamor, the father of Shechem, was gone out to speak to Jacob,

7lo! his sons came from the field. And when this thing that befelled was heard, they were wroth greatly; for he had wrought a foul thing in Israel, and he had done a thing unleaveful in the defouling of the daughter of Jacob.

8And so Hamor spake to them, The soul of my son Shechem hath cleaved to your daughter; give ye her a wife to him,

9and join we weddings together; give ye your daughters to us, and take ye our daughters,

10and dwell ye with us; the land is in your power; till ye, and make ye merchandise, and wield ye it.

11But also Shechem said to the father and brethren of her, Find I grace before you, and whatever things ye ordain I shall give;

12increase ye the dower, and ask ye for gifts, and I shall give willfully that that ye ask; only give ye this damsel a wife to me.

13The sons of Jacob answered in guile to Shechem and to Hamor, his father, and they were made fierce for the defouling of the maidenhood of their sister,

14We may not do this that ye ask, neither we may give our sister to a man uncircumcised, which thing is unleaveful and abominable with us.

15But in this we shall be able to be bound in peace, if ye will be like us, and each of male kind be circumcised in you;

16then we shall give and take together our daughters and yours; and we shall dwell with you, and we shall be one people.

17Forsooth if ye will not be cir-cumcised, we shall take our daughter, and we shall go away.

18The proffering of them pleased Hamor, and Shechem, his son,

19and the young waxing man delayed not, that not he fulfilled anon that that was asked; for he loved the damsel greatly, and he was the most noble in all the house of his father.

20And they entered into the gate of the city, and spake to the people,

21These men be peaceable, and will dwell with us; make they merchandise in the land, and till they it, which is large and broad, and hath need to tillers; we shall take their daughters to wives, and we shall give our daughters to them.

22One thing is, for which so great good is delayed; if we circumcise our males, and follow the custom of the folk,

23both their substance, and sheep, and all things which they wield, shall be ours; only assent we in this, that we dwell together, and make one people.

24And all men assented, and all [the] males were circumcised.

25And lo! in the third day, when the sorrow of [the] wounds was most grievous, two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, [the] brethren of Dinah, took swords, and entered into the city boldly; and when all [the] males were slain,

26they killed Hamor and Shechem together, and took Dinah, their sister, from the house of Shechem. And when they were gone out,

27 [the] other sons of Jacob felled in on the slain men, and rifled the city, for the vengeance of [the] defouling of the virgin.

28And they wasted the sheep of those men, and droves of oxen, and asses, and all things that were in the houses and fields,

29and led away as prisoners the little children, and [the] wives of those men. And when these things were done hardily,

30Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, and have made me hateful to Canaanites and Perizzites, [the] dwellers of this land; we be few, [and] they shall be gathered together against me, and shall slay me, and I shall be done away, and mine house.

31Simeon and Levi answered, Whether they ought to mis-use our sister as a whore?

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