20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(A) to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;(B) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(C) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(D) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(E) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(F)

24 All the men who went out of the city gate(G) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,(H) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(I) and Levi,(J) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(K) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(L) killing every male.(M) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(N) and took Dinah(O) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(P) where[a] their sister had been defiled.(Q) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(R) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(S) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(T) taking as plunder(U) everything in the houses.(V)

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(W) on me by making me obnoxious(X) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(Y) We are few in number,(Z) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?(AA)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:27 Or because

20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the (A)gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: 21 “These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who (B)went out of the gate of his city.

25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, (C)Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26 And they (D)killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, (E)“You have (F)troubled me (G)by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; (H)and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”

31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

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