‏ Genesis 34

The Treachery of Jacob’s Sons

1 Now aDinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to
Lit see
visit the daughters of the land.
2When Shechem the son of Hamor cthe Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her and raped her. 3But
Lit His soul clung
he was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and
Lit spoke to the heart of the girl
spoke tenderly to her.
4So Shechem fspoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.” 5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob said nothing until they came in. 6Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard about it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a
Lit senseless
hdisgraceful thing in Israel by
I.e., violating her
sleeping with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him
Lit for a wife
in marriage.
9And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10So you will live with us, and kthe land shall be
Lit before you
open to you; live and mtrade in it and nacquire property in it.”
11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and I will give whatever you tell me. 12Demand of me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give whatever you tell me; but give me the girl
Lit for a wife
in marriage.”

13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled their sister Dinah. 14They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, that is, give our sister to a pman who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you will be circumcised, 16then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you and become one people. 17But if you do not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18 Now their words seemed
Lit good
reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son.
19The young man did not delay to do
Lit the thing
this, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father.
20So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the sgate of their city and spoke to the people of their city, saying, 21“These men are
Lit peaceful
friendly to us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is
Lit wide of hands before them
large enough for them. We will take their daughters
Lit to us for wives
in marriage, and give our daughters to them.
22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised. 23Will their livestock and their property and all their animals not be ours? Let’s just consent to them, and they will live with us.” 24 wAll who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons-- xSimeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers --each took his sword and came upon the city undetected, and killed every male. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and left. 27Jacob’s sons came upon those killed and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks, their herds, and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; 29and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even everything that was in the houses. 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ybrought trouble on me by zmaking me repulsive among the inhabitants of the land, among aathe Canaanites and the Perizzites; and
Lit I, few in number
acsince my men are few in number, they will band together against me and
Lit strike
attack me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household!”
31But they said, “Should he
Or make
treat our sister like a prostitute?”
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