Genesis 34

¹ Dinah, who was Jacob's daughter by Leah, went out to visit some of 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.

³ He was captivated by Dinah daughter of Jacob; he fel in love with the girl and tried to win her heart.

⁴ Accordingly Shechem said to his father Hamor, 'Get me this girl; I want to marry her.'

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.

⁶ Hamor father of Shechem was visiting Jacob to discuss the matter with him,

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.

⁸ Hamor reasoned with them as fol ows, 'My son Shechem's heart is set on your daughter. Please al owher to marry him.

⁹ Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.

¹⁰ We can live together, and the country wil be open to you, for you to live in, and move about in, andacquire holdings.'

¹¹ Then Shechem addressed the girl's father and brothers, 'Grant me this favour, and I will give youwhatever you ask.

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.'

¹³ Jacob's sons gave Shechem and his father Hamor a crafty answer, speaking as they did because hehad dishonoured their sister Dinah.

¹⁴ 'We cannot do this,' they said to them. 'To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be adisgrace for us.

¹⁵ We can agree only on one condition: that you become like us by circumcising al your males.

¹⁶ Then we wil give you our daughters, taking yours for ourselves; and we wil stay with you to makeone nation.

¹⁷ But if you will not agree to our terms about being circumcised, we shal take our daughter and go.'

¹⁸ Hamor and Shechem son of Hamor were pleased with what they heard.

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.

²⁰ Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their town and spoke to their fellow-townsmen asfol ows,

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.

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.

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.'

²⁴ Al the citizens of the town agreed to the proposal made by Hamor and his son Shechem, and al themales were circumcised.

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.

²⁶ They kil ed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, removed Dinah from Shechem's house andcame away.

²⁷ When Jacob's other sons came on the slain, they pil aged the town in reprisal for the dishonouring oftheir sister.

²⁸ They seized their flocks, cattle, donkeys, everything else in the town and in the countryside,

²⁹ and al their possessions. They took al their children and wives captive and looted everything to befound in the houses.

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.'

³¹ They retorted, 'Should our sister be treated like a whore?'