Add parallel Print Page Options

34 Now Dinah daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out [unattended] to see the girls of the place.

And when Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he seized her, lay with her, and humbled, defiled, and disgraced her.

But his soul longed for and clung to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and spoke comfortingly to her young heart’s wishes.

And Shechem said to his father Hamor, Get me this girl to be my wife.

Jacob heard that [Shechem] had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field. So Jacob held his peace until they came.

But Hamor father of Shechem went out to Jacob to have a talk with him.

When Jacob’s sons heard it, they came from the field; and they were distressed and grieved and very angry, for [Shechem] had done a vile thing to Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter, which ought not to be done.

And Hamor conferred with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem craves your daughter [and sister]. I beg of you give her to him to be his wife.

And make marriages with us and give your daughters to us and take our daughters to you.

10 You shall dwell with us; the country will be open to you; live and trade and get your possessions in it.

11 And Shechem said to [Dinah’s] father and to her brothers, Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask of me.

12 Ask me ever so much dowry and [marriage] gift, and I will give according to what you tell me; only give me the girl to be my wife.

13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, [justifying their intended action by saying, in effect, we are going to do this] because Shechem had defiled and disgraced their sister Dinah.

14 They said to them, We cannot do this thing and give our sister to one who is not circumcised, for that would be a reproach and disgrace to us.

15 But we do consent to do this: if you will become as we are and every male among you be circumcised,

16 Then we will give our daughters to you and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you and become one people.

17 But if you will not listen to us and consent to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.

18 Their words pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.

19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, for he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was honored above all his family [so, ranking first, he acted first].

20 Then Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their [enclosed] town and discussed the matter with the citizens, saying,

21 These men are peaceable with us; so let them dwell in the land and trade in it; for the land is large enough [for us and] for them; let us take their daughters for wives and let us give them our daughters.

22 But the men will consent to our request that they live among us and be one people only on condition that every male among us be circumcised, as they are.

23 Shall not their cattle and their possessions and all their beasts be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell here with us.

24 And all the people who went out of the town gate listened and heeded what Hamor and Shechem said; and every male was circumcised who was a resident of that town.

25 But on the third day [after the circumcision] when [all the men] were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s [full] brothers, took their swords, boldly entered the city [without danger], and slew all the males.

26 And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house [where she had been all this time] and departed.

27 [Then the rest of] Jacob’s [eleven] sons came upon the slain and plundered the town, because there their sister had been defiled and disgraced.

28 They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the town and in the field;

29 All their wealth and all their little ones and their wives they took captive, making spoil even of all [they found] in the houses.

30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have ruined me, making me infamous and embroiling me with the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites! And we are few in number, and they will gather together against me and attack me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my household.

31 And they said, Should he [be permitted to] deal with our sister as with a harlot?

Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,(A) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem(B) son of Hamor(C) the Hivite,(D) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(E) His heart was drawn to Dinah(F) daughter of Jacob;(G) he loved(H) the young woman and spoke tenderly(I) to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(J)

When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,(K) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(L) Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked(M) and furious,(N) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[a] Israel(O) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.(P)

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(Q) Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.(R) 10 You can settle among us;(S) the land is open to you.(T) Live in it, trade[b] in it,(U) and acquire property in it.(V)

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,(W) and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride(X) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,(Y) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully(Z) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.(AA) That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition(AB) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.(AC) 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.(AD) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.(AE) 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored(AF) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.(AG) 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(AH) 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;(AI) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(AJ) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(AK) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(AL) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(AM)

24 All the men who went out of the city gate(AN) 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,(AO) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(AP) and Levi,(AQ) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(AR) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(AS) killing every male.(AT) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(AU) and took Dinah(AV) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(AW) where[c] their sister had been defiled.(AX) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(AY) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(AZ) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(BA) taking as plunder(BB) everything in the houses.(BC)

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(BD) on me by making me obnoxious(BE) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(BF) We are few in number,(BG) 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?(BH)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:7 Or against
  2. Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
  3. Genesis 34:27 Or because