God's New Bible

The First Book of Moses: Genesis

King James Version :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 34 -

1
And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
2
And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.(a)
3
And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.(b)
4
And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.
5
And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
6
And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.
7
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
8
And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
9
And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.
10
And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.
11
And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.
12
Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers

13
And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
14
And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
15
But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;
16
Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
17
But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
18
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son.
19
And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.
20
And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
21
These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
22
Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.
23
Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.
24
And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
25
And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
26
And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.(c)
27
The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28
They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
29
And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.
30
And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
31
And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Footnotes

(a)34:2 defiled…: Heb. humbled her
(b)34:3 kindly…: Heb. to the heart of the damsel
(c)34:26 edge: Heb. mouth
1
Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
2
Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her.
3
His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady.
4
Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, “Get me this young lady as a wife.”
5
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.
6
Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him.
7
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.
8
Hamor talked with them, saying, “The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.
9
Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.
10
You shall dwell with us, and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it.”
11
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.
12
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

13
The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit when they spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister,
14
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.
15
Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,
16
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.
17
But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our sister,(a) and we will be gone.”
18
Their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.
19
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.
20
Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,
21
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.
22
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.
23
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.”
24
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.
25
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.
26
They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.
27
Jacob’s sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28
They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field,
29
and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house.
30
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.”
31
They said, “Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?”

Footnotes

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