Genesis 34

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Dinah, who was Jacob's daughter by Leah, went out to visit some of the women of that region.	1 Then Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see the women of that region.
2 Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, headman of the region, saw her, seized her and forced her tosleep with him.	2 And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the leader of that land, had seen her, he fell in love with her. And so he seized her and slept with her, overwhelming the virgin by force.
3 He was captivated by Dinah daughter of Jacob; he fel in love with the girl and tried to win her heart.	3 And his soul was closely bound to her, and, since she was sorrowful, he soothed her with flattery.
4 Accordingly Shechem said to his father Hamor, 'Get me this girl; I want to marry her.'	4 And going on to Hamor, his father, he said, “Obtain this girl for me as a mate.”
5 Meanwhile, Jacob had heard how his daughter Dinah had been dishonoured, but since his sons wereout in the countryside with his livestock, Jacob said nothing until they came back.	5 But when Jacob had heard this, since his sons were absent and he was occupied in pasturing the cattle, he remained silent until they came back.
6 Hamor father of Shechem was visiting Jacob to discuss the matter with him,	6 Then, when Hamor, the father of Shechem, had gone out to speak to Jacob,
7 when Jacob's sons returned from the countryside and heard the news; the men were outraged andinfuriated that Shechem had insulted Israel by sleeping with Jacob's daughter -- a thing total y unacceptable.	7 behold, his sons arrived from the field. And hearing what had happened, they were very angry, because he had done a filthy thing in Israel and, in violating a daughter of Jacob, had perpetrated an unlawful act.
8 Hamor reasoned with them as fol ows, 'My son Shechem's heart is set on your daughter. Please al owher to marry him.	8 And so Hamor spoke to them: “The soul of my son Shechem has become attached to your daughter. Give her to him as a wife.
9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.	9 And let us celebrate marriages with one with another. Give us your daughters, and receive our daughters.
10 We can live together, and the country wil be open to you, for you to live in, and move about in, andacquire holdings.'	10 And live with us. The land is in your power: cultivate, trade, and possess it.”
11 Then Shechem addressed the girl's father and brothers, 'Grant me this favour, and I will give youwhatever you ask.	11 And Shechem even said to her father and to her brothers: “May I find favor in your sight, and whatever you will appoint, I will give.
12 Demand as high a bride-price from me as you please, and I wil pay as much as you ask. Only let memarry the girl.'	12 Increase the dowry, and request gifts, and I will freely bestow what you will ask. Only give me this girl as a wife.”
13 Jacob's sons gave Shechem and his father Hamor a crafty answer, speaking as they did because hehad dishonoured their sister Dinah.	13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father with deceit, being enraged at the rape of their sister:
14 'We cannot do this,' they said to them. 'To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be adisgrace for us.	14 “We are not able to do what you ask, nor to give our sister to an uncircumcised man. For us, this is unlawful and abominable.
15 We can agree only on one condition: that you become like us by circumcising al your males.	15 But we may succeed in this, so as to be allied with you, if you are willing to become like us, and if all the male sex among you will be circumcised.
16 Then we wil give you our daughters, taking yours for ourselves; and we wil stay with you to makeone nation.	16 Then we will mutually give and receive your daughters as well as ours; and we will live with you, and we will become one people.
17 But if you will not agree to our terms about being circumcised, we shal take our daughter and go.'	17 But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and withdraw.”
18 Hamor and Shechem son of Hamor were pleased with what they heard.	18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.
19 The young man did not hesitate about doing this, for he was deeply in love with Jacob's daughter.Moreover he was the most respected member of his entire family.	19 Neither did the young man cause any delay; in fact he immediately fulfilled what was requested. For he loved the girl very much, and he was well-known throughout his father’s house.
20 Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their town and spoke to their fellow-townsmen asfol ows,	20 And entering at the gate of the city, they spoke to the people:
21 'These men are friendly; let them settle in the region and move about freely in it; there is plenty ofroom here for them; we shal marry their daughters and give our daughters to them.	21 “These men are peaceful, and they want to live among us. Let them trade in the land and cultivate it, for, being spacious and broad, it is in need of cultivation. We will receive their daughters as wives, and we will give them ours.
22 But these men will agree to settle with us and become a single nation only on this condition: that alour males be circumcised like them.	22 There is one thing that prevents so great a good: whether we will circumcise our males, imitating the ritual of their nation.
23 Wil not the livestock they own, al their animals, become ours? Then let us give our assent to this, sothat they can settle with us.'	23 And their substance, and cattle, and all that they possess, will be ours, if only we will acquiesce to this, and so, in living together, will form one people.”
24 Al the citizens of the town agreed to the proposal made by Hamor and his son Shechem, and al themales were circumcised.	24 And they all agreed to circumcise every one of the males.
25 Now on the third day, when the men were stil in pain, Jacob's two sons Simeon and Levi, Dinah'sbrothers, each took his sword and advanced unopposed against the town and slaughtered al the males.	25 And behold, on the third day, when the pain of the wound was greatest, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, boldly entered the city with swords. And they put to death all of the males.
26 They kil ed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, removed Dinah from Shechem's house andcame away.	26 They killed Hamor and Shechem together, taking their sister Dinah from the house of Shechem.
27 When Jacob's other sons came on the slain, they pil aged the town in reprisal for the dishonouring oftheir sister.	27 And when they had departed, the other sons of Jacob rushed over the slain, and they plundered the city in vengeance for the rape.
28 They seized their flocks, cattle, donkeys, everything else in the town and in the countryside,	28 Taking their sheep, and herds, and donkeys, and laying waste to everything else that was in their houses and in their fields,
29 and al their possessions. They took al their children and wives captive and looted everything to befound in the houses.	29 they also took their little ones and their wives captive.
30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 'You have done me an il turn by bringing me into bad odour with thepeople of the region, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have few men, whereas they wil unite against me todefeat me and destroy me and my family.'	30 When they had boldly completed these acts, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: “You have troubled me, and you have made me hateful to the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the inhabitants of this land. We are few. They, gathering themselves together, may strike me down, and then both I and my house will be wiped away.”
31 They retorted, 'Should our sister be treated like a whore?'	31 They responded, “Should they abuse our sister like a prostitute?”