The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 34 -

Then Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare vnto Iaakob, went out to see the daughters of that countrey.

Whome when Shechem the sonne of Hamor the Hiuite lorde of that countrey sawe, hee tooke her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

So his heart claue vnto Dinah the daughter of Iaakob: and he loued the maide, and spake kindely vnto the maide.

Then said Shechem to his father Hamor, saying, Get me this maide to wife.

(Nowe Iaakob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter, and his sonnes were with his cattell in the fielde: therefore Iaakob helde his peace, vntill they were come.)

Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out vnto Iaakob to commune with him.

And whe the sonnes of Iaakob were come out of the fielde and heard it, it grieued the men, and they were very angry, because he had wrought villenie in Israel, in that he had lyen with Iaakobs daughter: which thing ought not to be done.

And Hamor communed with them, saying, the soule of my sonne Shechem longeth for your daughter: giue her him to wife, I pray you.

So make affinitie with vs: giue your daughters vnto vs, and take our daughters vnto you,

And ye shall dwell with vs, and the lande shalbe before you: dwell, and doe your businesse in it, and haue your possessions therein.

Shechem also said vnto her father and vnto her brethren, Let me finde fauour in your eyes, and I will giue whatsoeuer ye shall appoint me.

Aske of me abundantly both dowrie and giftes, and I will giue as ye appoint me, so that ye giue me the maide to wife.

The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers

Then the sonnes of Iaakob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, talking deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,

And they said vnto them, We can not do this thing, to giue our sister to an vncircumcised man: for that were a reproofe vnto vs.

But in this will we consent vnto you, if ye will be as we are, that euery man childe among you be circumcised:

Then will we giue our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to vs, and will dwell with you, and be one people.

But if ye will not hearken vnto vs to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter and depart.

Nowe their wordes pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamors sonne.

And the yong man deferd not to doe the thing because he loued Iaakobs daughter: he was also the most set by of all his fathers house.

Then Hamor and Shechem his Sonne went vnto the gate of their citie, and communed with the men of their citie, saying,

These men are peaceable with vs: and that they may dwell in the land, and doe their affaires therin (for behold, the land hath roume ynough for them) let vs take their daughters to wiues, and giue them our daughters.

Onely herein will the men consent vnto vs for to dwell with vs, and to be one people, if all the men children among vs be circumcised as they are circumcised.

Shall not their flockes and their substance and all their cattell be ours? onely let vs consent herein vnto them, and they will dwell with vs.

And vnto Hamor, and Shechem his sonne hearkened all that went out of the gate of his citie: and all the men children were circumcised, euen all that went out of the gate of his citie.

And on the thirde day (when they were sore) two of the sonnes of Iaakob, Simeon and Leui, Dinahs brethren tooke either of them his sworde and went into the citie boldly, and slue euery male.

They slewe also Hamor and Shechem his sonne with the edge of the sword, and tooke Dinah out of Shechems house, and went their way.

Againe the other sonnes of Iaakob came vpon the dead, and spoyled the citie, because they had defiled their sister.

They tooke their sheepe and their beeues, and their asses, and whatsoeuer was in the citie, and in the fieldes.

Also they caryed away captiue and spoyled all their goods, and all their children and their wiues, and all that was in the houses.

Then Iaakob said to Simeon and Leui, Ye haue troubled me, and made me stinke among the inhabitats of the land, aswell the Canaanites, as the Perizzites, and and I being few in nomber, they shall gather theselues together against me, and slay me, and so shall I, and my house be destroied.

And they answered, Shoulde hee abuse our sister as a whore?

Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.

His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady.

Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.”

Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his livestock in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came.

Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him.

The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing that ought not to be done.

Hamor talked with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.

Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.

You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it.”

Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give.

Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife.”

The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers

The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit when they spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,

and said to them, “We can’t do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us.

Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,

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

But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our sister,(a) and we will be gone.”

Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.

The young man didn’t wait to do this thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father.

Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,

“These men are peaceful with us. Therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. For behold, the land is large enough for them. Let’s take their daughters to us for wives, and let’s give them our daughters.

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

Won’t their livestock and their possessions and all their animals be ours? Only let’s give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us.”

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

On the third day, when they were sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males.

They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

Jacob’s sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.

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

and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house.

Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house.”

They said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?”

Footnotes

(a)34:17 Hebrew has, literally, “daughter”