Genesis 34

¹Then Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out to see the women of that region.

²And 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.

³And his soul was closely bound to her, and, since she was sorrowful, he soothed her with flattery.

⁴And going on to Hamor, his father, he said, “Obtain this girl for me as a mate.”

⁵But 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.

⁶Then, when Hamor, the father of Shechem, had gone out to speak to Jacob,

⁷behold, 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.

⁸And so Hamor spoke to them: “The soul of my son Shechem has become attached to your daughter. Give her to him as a wife.

⁹And let us celebrate marriages with one with another. Give us your daughters, and receive our daughters.

¹⁰And live with us. The land is in your power: cultivate, trade, and possess it.”

¹¹And 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.

¹²Increase the dowry, and request gifts, and I will freely bestow what you will ask. Only give me this girl as a wife.”

¹³The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father with deceit, being enraged at the rape of their sister:

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.

¹⁵But 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.

¹⁶Then we will mutually give and receive your daughters as well as ours; and we will live with you, and we will become one people.

¹⁷But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and withdraw.”

¹⁸Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.

¹⁹Neither 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.

²⁰And entering at the gate of the city, they spoke to the people:

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.

²²There is one thing that prevents so great a good: whether we will circumcise our males, imitating the ritual of their nation.

²³And 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.”

²⁴And they all agreed to circumcise every one of the males.

²⁵And 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.

²⁶They killed Hamor and Shechem together, taking their sister Dinah from the house of Shechem.

²⁷And when they had departed, the other sons of Jacob rushed over the slain, and they plundered the city in vengeance for the rape.

²⁸Taking their sheep, and herds, and donkeys, and laying waste to everything else that was in their houses and in their fields,

²⁹they also took their little ones and their wives captive.

³⁰When 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.”

³¹They responded, “Should they abuse our sister like a prostitute?”

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 favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give:

¹²Raise the dowry, 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 we may 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 are 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 their 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?