底娜受辱

34 一天,利亞給雅各所生的女兒底娜到外面去見當地的女子。 當地首領希未人哈抹的兒子示劍看到她,就抓住她,強行玷污了她。 他戀慕雅各的女兒底娜,就用甜言蜜語討她歡心。 他求父親哈抹為他說親,把底娜娶過來。 消息傳到雅各耳中時,他的兒子們正在田野放牧。他只好忍氣吞聲,等兒子們回來再作打算。 示劍的父親哈抹來和雅各商議。 雅各的兒子們一聽說這事,就從田野趕回來。大家都非常憤怒,因為示劍不該對以色列家做這醜事——玷污雅各的女兒。

哈抹跟他們商議說:「我兒子示劍愛慕你們家的女兒,請你們把女兒嫁給他吧! 我們可以互相通婚,你們可以把女兒嫁給我們的兒子,也可以娶我們的女兒為妻。 10 你們可以在我們這裡安頓下來,這片土地就在你們面前,住在這裡做買賣、置產業吧。」 11 示劍對底娜的父親和她的弟兄們說:「請你們恩待我,你們要什麼,我都給你們。 12 只要你們答應把女兒嫁給我,無論你們要多少聘金和禮物,我必如數奉上。」

雅各之子計殺示劍人

13 雅各的兒子們因為示劍玷污了他們的妹妹底娜,就假意對示劍和他的父親哈抹說: 14 「我們不能把妹妹嫁給沒有受過割禮的人,這對我們是一種羞辱。 15 除非你們所有的男子都跟我們一樣受割禮, 16 我們才能答應和你們通婚,共同生活,結成一個民族。 17 如果你們不肯這樣做,我們就把妹妹帶走。」

18 哈抹父子欣然答應。 19 示劍毫不遲延地照辦,因為他熱戀底娜。在哈抹家族中,他最受人尊重。 20 哈抹父子來到城門口,對那城的居民說: 21 「這些人跟我們相處和睦,就讓他們在這裡定居、做買賣吧。我們這裡有足夠的地方可以容納他們,我們可以和他們通婚。 22 可是,他們有一個條件,就是要我們所有的男子和他們一樣接受割禮,他們才答應和我們一起生活,結成一個民族。 23 到時候,他們的財產和牛羊等所有牲畜不全歸我們了嗎?我們同意他們吧,這樣他們就會在我們這裡定居。」 24 在城門進出的人聽了哈抹父子的話,都表示贊同。於是,城裡的男子都接受了割禮。

25 到了第三天,他們傷口正疼痛的時候,雅各的兩個兒子——底娜的哥哥西緬和利未拿著利劍,乘眾人沒有防備,潛入城中,殺掉了所有的男子, 26 包括哈抹和示劍,從示劍家裡帶走了底娜。 27 雅各的兒子又到城裡擄掠,因為他們的妹妹在那裡被人玷污。 28 他們搶走牛群、羊群、驢群和城裡城外所有的東西, 29 並帶走所有財物、婦孺以及房屋裡的一切。 30 雅各責備西緬和利未說:「你們為什麼要給我惹麻煩,使我在當地的迦南人和比利洗人中留下臭名呢?我們人數很少,要是他們聯手來攻擊我們,我們全家必遭滅門之禍。」 31 他們說:「他怎麼能把我們的妹妹當妓女對待?」

Jacob’s Daughter Dinah is Raped

34 Some time later, Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women[a] of the land. When Hamor the Hivite’s son Shechem, the regional leader, saw her, he grabbed her and raped her, humiliating her. He was attached to[b] Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, since he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.[c] Then Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get this young woman[d] for me to be my wife.”

Because Jacob learned that Shechem had dishonored his daughter Dinah while his sons were still out with their cattle on the open range, he remained silent until they returned. Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor arrived to talk to Jacob. Just then Jacob’s sons arrived from the field. When they heard what had happened, they were distraught with grief and livid with anger toward Shechem,[e] because he had committed a disgraceful deed in Israel by forcing Jacob’s daughter to have sex, an act that never should have happened.

But Hamor said this: “My son is deeply attracted to your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. Intermarry with us. Give your daughters to us and take our sons for yourselves. 10 Live with us anywhere you want.[f] Live, trade, and grow rich in it.”

11 Shechem also addressed Dinah’s[g] father and brothers. He told them, “If you’ll just approve me, I’ll give whatever you ask of me. 12 No matter how big or how extensive your demands are for a dowry and wedding presents from me, I’ll provide whatever you ask. Only give me the young lady to be my wife.”

Jacob’s Sons Plot Revenge

13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceptively, because Shechem had dishonored their sister Dinah. 14 They told them, “We can’t do this. We can’t give our sister to a man who isn’t circumcised, because that would be insulting to us. 15 But we’ll agree to your request, only if you will become like us by circumcising every male among you. 16 Then we’ll give our daughters to you and take your daughters for ourselves, live among you, and be as a united people. 17 But if you won’t listen to us, then we’re going to take our daughter and leave.” 18 What they said pleased Hamor and his son Shechem, 19 so the young man did not delay the matter any further, since he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

Now Shechem was the most important person in his father’s household. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem entered the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city. 21 “These men are at peace with us,” they announced. “Therefore, let them live in the land and trade in it. Look! The land is large enough for them. Let’s take their daughters as wives for ourselves and let’s give our sons to them.

22 “However,” they added, “only on this condition will the men consent to live with us and be united as a single people with us: every male among us will have to be circumcised just as they are. 23 Shouldn’t all their cattle, acquisitions, and animals belong to us? So, let’s give our consent to them, and then they’ll live with us.”

Simeon and Levi Attack Shechem

24 All of the males who heard Hamor and his son Shechem, who had gone out to the city gate, were circumcised. 25 Three days later, while they were still in pain, Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi, two of Dinah’s brothers, each grabbed a sword and entered the city unannounced, intending to kill all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took back Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 27 Jacob’s other sons came along afterward and plundered the city where their sister had been defiled, 28 seizing all of their flocks, herds, donkeys, and whatever else was in the city or had been left out in the field. 29 They carried off all their wealth, their children, and their wives as captives, plundering everything that remained in the houses.

30 Then Jacob told Simeon and Levi, “You have certainly stirred up trouble for me! You’ve made me despised by[h] the Canaanites and the Perizzites who live in this territory. Because I have only a few men with me, they’re going to gather themselves together and attack me until I am totally destroyed, along with my entire household!”

31 “Should he have treated our sister like a whore?” they asked in response.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:1 Lit. daughters
  2. Genesis 34:3 Lit. His soul clung
  3. Genesis 34:3 Lit. to the heart of the young lady
  4. Genesis 34:4 Or girl
  5. Genesis 34:7 Lit. toward the man
  6. Genesis 34:10 Lit. us, since the land lays open before you
  7. Genesis 34:11 Lit. her
  8. Genesis 34:30 Lit. me stink in the eyes of