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Genesis 34
Good News Translation
Genesis 34
Good News Translation
The Rape of Dinah
34 One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the Canaanite women. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of that region, saw her, he took her and raped her. 3 But he found the young woman so attractive that he fell in love with her and tried to win her affection.[a] 4 He told his father, “I want you to get Dinah for me as my wife.”
5 Jacob learned that his daughter had been disgraced, but because his sons were out in the fields with his livestock, he did nothing until they came back. 6 Shechem's father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob, 7 just as Jacob's sons were coming in from the fields. When they heard about it, they were shocked and furious that Shechem had done such a thing and had insulted the people of Israel by raping Jacob's daughter. 8 Hamor said to him, “My son Shechem has fallen in love with your daughter; please let him marry her. 9 Let us make an agreement that there will be intermarriage between our people and yours. 10 Then you may stay here in our country with us; you may live anywhere you wish, trade freely, and own property.”
11 Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, “Do me this favor, and I will give you whatever you want. 12 Tell me what presents you want, and set the payment for the bride as high as you wish; I will give you whatever you ask, if you will only let me marry her.”
13 Because Shechem had disgraced their sister Dinah, Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor in a deceitful way. 14 They said to him, “We cannot let our sister marry a man who is not circumcised; that would be a disgrace for us. 15 We can agree only on the condition that you become like us by circumcising all your males. 16 Then we will agree to intermarriage. We will settle among you and become one people with you. 17 But if you will not accept our terms and be circumcised, we will take her and leave.”
18 These terms seemed fair to Hamor and his son Shechem, 19 and the young man lost no time in doing what was suggested, because he was in love with Jacob's daughter. He was the most important member of his family.
20 Hamor and his son Shechem went to the meeting place at the city gate and spoke to the people of the town: 21 “These men are friendly; let them live in the land with us and travel freely. The land is large enough for them also. Let us marry their daughters and give them ours in marriage. 22 But these men will agree to live among us and be one people with us only on the condition that we circumcise all our males, as they are circumcised. 23 Won't all their livestock and everything else they own be ours? So let us agree that they can live among us.” 24 All the citizens of the city agreed with what Hamor and Shechem proposed, and all the males were circumcised.
25 Three days later, when the men were still sore from their circumcision, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, took their swords, went into the city without arousing suspicion, and killed all the men, 26 including Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they took Dinah from Shechem's house and left. 27 After the slaughter Jacob's other sons looted the town to take revenge for their sister's disgrace. 28 They took the flocks, the cattle, the donkeys, and everything else in the city and in the fields. 29 They took everything of value, captured all the women and children, and carried off everything in the houses.
30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have gotten me into trouble; now the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and everybody else in the land will hate me. I do not have many men; if they all band together against me and attack me, our whole family will be destroyed.”
31 But they answered, “We cannot let our sister be treated like a common whore.”
Footnotes
- Genesis 34:3 tried to win her affection; or comforted her.
Genesis 34
New International Version
Genesis 34
New International Version
Dinah and the Shechemites
34 Now Dinah,(A) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem(B) son of Hamor(C) the Hivite,(D) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(E) 3 His heart was drawn to Dinah(F) daughter of Jacob;(G) he loved(H) the young woman and spoke tenderly(I) to her. 4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(J)
5 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.
6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(L) 7 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)
8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(Q) 9 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
- Genesis 34:7 Or against
- Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
- Genesis 34:27 Or because
Genesis 34
Expanded Bible
Genesis 34
Expanded Bible
Dinah Is Attacked
34 At this time Dinah, the daughter of Leah ·and [L whom she bore to] Jacob [30:21], went out to ·visit [see; or be seen with] the ·women [L daughters] of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite [C one of the tribes that inhabited Canaan], the ·ruler [prince] of the land, saw her, he took her and ·forced her to have sexual relations with him [lay with her and humiliated/violated her]. 3 ·Shechem fell in love with Dinah [L His soul was bound to Dinah daugher of Jacob and he loved her], and he spoke kindly to her. 4 He told his father, Hamor, “Please get this girl for me ·so I can marry her [L as a wife].”
5 Jacob ·learned how [L heard that] ·Shechem [L he] had ·disgraced [defiled; made unclean] his daughter, but since his sons were out in the field with the cattle, Jacob ·said nothing [was silent] until they came home. 6 While he waited, Hamor father of Shechem went to talk with Jacob.
7 When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they came in from the field. They were [L upset/shocked/pained and] very angry that Shechem had done ·such a wicked thing [sacrilege; L folly] to Israel. It was wrong for him to ·have sexual relations [L lie] with Jacob’s daughter; a thing like this should not be done.
8 But Hamor talked to Dinah’s brothers and said, “My son Shechem is deeply ·in love with [attached/bound to] Dinah. Please ·let him marry her [L give her to him as a wife]. 9 ·Marry [Make marriages/Intermarry with] our people. Give your women [L daughters] to ·our men as wives [L us] and take our ·women [L daughters] for ·your men as wives [L yourselves]. 10 You can live in the same land with us. You will be free to own land and to trade here.”
11 Shechem also talked to ·Jacob [L her father] and to Dinah’s brothers and said, “·Please accept my offer [L Let me find grace/favor in your eyes]. I will give anything you ask. 12 Ask as much as you want for the ·payment for the bride [bridal payment and gift; C traditional payments to the family], and I will give it to you. Just ·let me marry Dinah [L give me the girl as a wife].”
13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father ·with lies [deceitfully; with duplicity], because Shechem had ·disgraced [defiled; made unclean] their sister Dinah. 14 The brothers said to them, “We cannot allow you [L to do this thing] to ·marry our sister [L give our sister as a wife], because you are not circumcised. That would be a ·disgrace [reproach; shame] to us. 15 But we will ·allow you to marry her [L consent] if you do this one thing: Every man in your town must be circumcised like us [17:10]. 16 Then ·your men can marry our women [L we will give our daughers to you], and ·our men can marry your women [L we will take your daughters for ourselves], and we will live in your land and become one people. 17 If you ·refuse [L do not listen/obey us] to be circumcised, we will take ·Dinah [L our daughter] and ·leave [go].”
18 What they asked seemed fair to Hamor and Shechem [L the son of Hamor]. 19 So ·Shechem quickly went to be circumcised [L the man did not delay to do this thing] because he ·loved [delighted in] Jacob’s daughter.
Now Shechem was the most ·respected [honored] man in ·his family [L his father’s house]. 20 So Hamor and Shechem [L his son] went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21 “These people want to be friends with us. So let them live in our land and trade here. ·There is enough land [L The land is broad on both sides] for all of us. Let us ·marry their women [L take their daughters as wives for ourselves], and ·we can let them marry our women [L give them our daughters]. 22 But we must agree to one thing: All our men must be circumcised as they are. Then they will agree to live in our land, and we will be one people. 23 If we do this, their cattle and their animals will belong to us. Let us do what they say, and they will stay in our land.” 24 All the people who had come to the city gate heard this. They agreed with Hamor and Shechem [L his son], and every man was circumcised.
25 Three days later the men who were circumcised were still in pain. Two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi (Dinah’s brothers), took their swords and made a ·surprise [or bold] attack on the city, killing all the men there. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem and then took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and left. 27 Jacob’s sons came upon the dead bodies and ·stole everything that was in [plundered] the city, ·to pay them back for what Shechem had done to [L because they had disgraced/defiled/made unclean] their sister. 28 So the brothers took the flocks, herds, and donkeys, and everything in the city and in the fields. 29 They ·took [L captured and plundered] every valuable thing the people owned, even their wives and children and everything in the houses.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have caused me a lot of trouble. ·Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in the land will hate me [L I will be a stench among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites]. Since there are only a few of us, if they join together to attack us, my people and I will be destroyed.”
31 But the brothers said, “·We will not allow our sister to be treated [Should they treat our sister…?] like a ·prostitute [whore].”
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.