Genesis 34
New Living Translation
Revenge against Shechem
34 One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. 2 But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. 3 But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words. 4 He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.”
5 Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. 6 Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. 7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family,[a] something that should never be done.
8 Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her. 9 In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons. 10 And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”
11 Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask. 12 No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”
13 But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you! 15 But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, 16 then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. 17 But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”
18 Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. 19 Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family, 20 and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.
21 “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours. 22 But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are. 23 But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”
24 So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. 25 But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, 26 including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.
27 Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there. 28 They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields. 29 They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.
30 Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”
31 “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.
Footnotes
- 34:7 Hebrew a disgraceful thing in Israel.
Genesis 34
Revised Geneva Translation
34 Then Dinah (the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob), went out to see the daughters of that country.
2 When Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite (lord of that country), saw her, he took her and lay with her and defiled her.
3 So, his heart desired Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. And he loved the maid and spoke kindly to the maid.
4 Then Shechem said to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this maid to wife.”
5 Now, Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field. Therefore, Jacob held his peace until they had come.
6 Then, Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him.
7 And when the sons of Jacob had come out of the field and heard it, it grieved the men. They were very angry because he had brought disgrace in Israel in that he had laid with Jacob’s daughter, which ought not to be done.
8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as wife.
9 “So make marriages with us, give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to you.
10 “And you shall dwell with us; and the land shall be before you. Dwell and do your business in it and have your possessions therein.”
11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes; and I will give whatever you shall appoint to me.
12 “Ask of me abundantly both dowry and gifts; and I will give as you appoint to me, so that you give the maid to me as wife.”
13 Then, the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor, his father, talking deceitfully because he had defiled their sister.
14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to an uncircumcised man, for that would be a reproach to us.
15 “But we will consent to you in this: if you will be as we are, in that every male child among you be circumcised.
16 “Then we will give our daughters to you. And we will take your daughters to us. And will dwell with you and be one people.
17 “But, if you will not listen to us (to be circumcised), then we will take our daughter and depart.”
18 Now their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.
19 And the young man did not hesitate to do the thing because he loved Jacob’s daughter. He was also the most honorable of all his father’s house.
20 Then Hamor and Shechem, his son, went to the gate of their city and communed with the men of their city, saying,
21 “These men are peaceable with us. And in order for them to dwell in the land and do their affairs therein (for behold, the land has enough room for them), let us take their daughters as wives and give them our daughters.
22 “Only herein will the men consent to dwell with us and to be one people: if all the male children among us are circumcised, as they are circumcised.
23 “Shall not their flocks and their substance and all their cattle 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 listened to Hamor and Shechem, his son. And all the male children were circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
25 And on the third day (while they were sore) two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, both took sword and went boldly into the city and killed every male.
26 They also killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and went their way.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28 They took their sheep and their cattle and their donkeys and whatever was in the city and in the fields.
29 Also, they took captives and plundered all their goods and all their children and their wives and all that was in the houses.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me and made me stink among the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And they shall gather themselves together against us (we being few in number) and kill me; and so shall I and my house be destroyed.”
31 And they answered, “Should he abuse our sister as a whore?”
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