Genesis, 34

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

1. Dinah, who was Jacob's daughter by Leah, went out to visit some of the women of that region.

2. When Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, who was chief of the region, saw her, he seized her and lay with her by force.

2. Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, headman of the region, saw her, seized her and forced her to sleep with him.

3. Since he was strongly attracted to Dinah, daughter of Jacob, indeed was really in love with the girl, he endeavored to win her affection.

3. He was captivated by Dinah daughter of Jacob; he fell in love with the girl and tried to win her heart.

4. Shechem also asked his father Hamor, "Get me this girl for a wife."

4. Accordingly Shechem said to his father Hamor, 'Get me this girl; I want to marry her.'

5. Meanwhile, Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah; but since his sons were out in the fields with his livestock, he held his peace until they came home.

5. Meanwhile, Jacob had heard how his daughter Dinah had been dishonoured, but since his sons were out in the countryside with his livestock, Jacob said nothing until they came back.

6. Now Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to discuss the matter with Jacob,

6. Hamor father of Shechem was visiting Jacob to discuss the matter with him,

7. just as Jacob's sons were coming in from the fields. When they heard the news, the men were shocked and seethed with indignation. What Shechem had done was an outrage in Israel; such a thing could not be tolerated.

7. when Jacob's sons returned from the countryside and heard the news; the men were outraged and infuriated that Shechem had insulted Israel by sleeping with Jacob's daughter -- a thing totally unacceptable.

8. Hamor appealed to them, saying: "My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him in marriage.

8. Hamor reasoned with them as follows, 'My son Shechem's heart is set on your daughter. Please allow her to marry him.

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

9. Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.

10. Thus you can live among us. The land is open before you; you can settle and move about freely in it, and acquire landed property here."

10. We can live together, and the country will be open to you, for you to live in, and move about in, and acquire holdings.'

11. Then Shechem, too, appealed to Dinah's father and brothers: "Do me this favor, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.

11. Then Shechem addressed the girl's father and brothers, 'Grant me this favour, and I will give you whatever you ask.

12. No matter how high you set the bridal price, I will pay you whatever you ask; only give me the maiden in marriage."

12. Demand as high a bride-price from me as you please, and I will pay as much as you ask. Only let me marry the girl.'

13. Jacob's sons replied to Shechem and his father Hamor with guile, speaking as they did because their sister Dinah had been defiled.

13. Jacob's sons gave Shechem and his father Hamor a crafty answer, speaking as they did because he had dishonoured their sister Dinah.

14. "We could not do such a thing," they said, "as to give our sister to an uncircumcised man; that would be a disgrace for us.

14. 'We cannot do this,' they said to them. 'To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace for us.

15. We will agree with you only on this condition, that you become like us by having every male among you circumcised.

15. We can agree only on one condition: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.

16. Then we will give you our daughters and take yours in marriage; we will settle among you and become one kindred people with you.

16. Then we will give you our daughters, taking yours for ourselves; and we will stay with you to make one nation.

17. But if you do not comply with our terms regarding circumcision, we will take our daughter and go away."

17. But if you will not agree to our terms about being circumcised, we shall take our daughter and go.'

18. Their proposal seemed fair to Hamor and his son Shechem.

18. Hamor and Shechem son of Hamor were pleased with what they heard.

19. The young man lost no time in acting in the matter, since he was deeply in love with Jacob's daughter. Moreover he was more highly respected than anyone else in his clan.

19. The young man did not hesitate about doing this, for he was deeply in love with Jacob's daughter. Moreover he was the most respected member of his entire family.

20. So Hamor and his son Shechem went to their town council and thus presented the matter to their fellow townsmen:

20. Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their town and spoke to their fellow-townsmen as follows,

21. "These men are friendly toward us. Let them settle in the land and move about in it freely; there is ample room in the country for them. We can marry their daughters and give our daughters to them in marriage.

21. 'These men are friendly; let them settle in the region and move about freely in it; there is plenty of room here for them; we shall marry their daughters and give our daughters to them.

22. But the men will agree to live with us and form one kindred people with us only on this condition, that every male among us be circumcised as they themselves are.

22. But these men will agree to settle with us and become a single nation only on this condition: that all our males be circumcised like them.

23. Would not the livestock they have acquired--all their animals--then be ours? Let us, therefore, give in to them, so that they may settle among us."

23. Will not the livestock they own, all their animals, become ours? Then let us give our assent to this, so that they can settle with us.'

24. All the able-bodied men of the town agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the males, including every able-bodied man in the community, were circumcised.

24. All the citizens of the town agreed to the proposal made by Hamor and his son Shechem, and all the males were circumcised.

25. On the third day, while they were still in pain, Dinah's full brothers Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob's sons, took their swords, advanced against the city without any trouble, and massacred all the males.

25. Now on the third day, when the men were still in pain, Jacob's two sons Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and advanced unopposed against the town and slaughtered all the males.

26. After they had put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword, they took Dinah from Shechem's house and left.

26. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, removed Dinah from Shechem's house and came away.

27. Then the other sons of Jacob followed up the slaughter and sacked the city in reprisal for their sister Dinah's defilement.

27. When Jacob's other sons came on the slain, they pillaged the town in reprisal for the dishonouring of their sister.

28. They seized their flocks, herds and asses, whatever was in the city and in the country around.

28. They seized their flocks, cattle, donkeys, everything else in the town and in the countryside,

29. They carried off all their wealth, their women, and their children, and took for loot whatever was in the houses.

29. and all their possessions. They took all their children and wives captive and looted everything to be found in the houses.

30. Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: "You have brought trouble upon me by making me loathsome to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have so few men that, if these people unite against me and attack me, I and my family will be wiped out."

30. Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, 'You have done me an ill turn by bringing me into bad odour with the people of the region, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have few men, whereas they will unite against me to defeat me and destroy me and my family.'

31. But they retorted, "Should our sister have been treated like a harlot?"

31. They retorted, 'Should our sister be treated like a whore?'