Chapter 34

Chapter 34

1 Now Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had physically borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.

2 When Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her, lay with her, and exploited her.

3 His soul cleaved to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, he loved the young woman, and he spoke comfortingly to the young woman.

4 So Shechem spoke directly to his father Hamor, saying, 'Get me this young woman to be my woman.'

5 Now Jacob heard that he had exploited his daughter Dinah, but his sons were in the field with the livestock, so Jacob held his peace until they returned.

6 Then Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to Jacob to speak with him.

7 Meanwhile, the sons of Jacob returned from the field when they heard the report; the men were deeply grieved and exceedingly angry because he had committed a disgraceful act in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing that ought not to be done.

8 Hamor spoke directly to them, saying, 'The soul of my son Shechem longs for your young woman. Please give her to him as a woman.

9 Intermarry with us; give your women to us, and take our women for yourselves.

10 You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open before you; dwell and trade in it, and acquire property in it.'

11 Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, 'Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give.

12 Ask me for an ever so great dowry and gift, and I will give whatever you ask of me; only give me the young woman as a woman.'

13 The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, speaking in this manner because he had exploited their sister Dinah.

14 They said to them, 'We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.

15 Only in this way will we consent to you: if you will be like us, by every male among you being circumcised,

16 then we will give our women to you, and we will take your women for ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people.

17 But if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our young woman and we will depart.'

18 Their words were functional and good in the eyes of Hamor, and in the eyes of Shechem, Hamor’s son.

19 The young man did not delay to do the thing, because he was obsessed with Jacob’s daughter; he was the most honored of all the house of his father.

20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the city gate and spoke directly to the citizens of their city, saying,

21 'These men are at peace with us; therefore, let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for the land is wide enough for them; let us take their women for ourselves as women, and let us give them our women.

22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us to become one people: if every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised.

23 Will not their livestock, their property, and all their animals be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.'

24 All who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised—all who went out of the city gate.

25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob—Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers—each took his sword, came upon the city confidently, and slaughtered every male.

26 They slaughtered Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house and departed.

27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slaughtered and plundered the city, because they had exploited their sister.

28 They took their flocks, their herds, and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field;

29 and all their wealth, all their dependents, and their women they took captive, and plundered all that was in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and to Levi, 'You have brought extreme painful strain upon me by making me a stench to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and strike me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.'

31 But they said, 'Should he treat our sister as a common woman?'