The Genesis
Chapter
34
1 Well, DinAh, the daughter that LeAh bore to Jacob, went to see the daughters of the local people. 2 And Shechem, the son of Hamor the Tent Dweller (and the ruler of the land), noticed her. Then he humiliated her by taking her and [having sex] with her. 3 Yet, he was deeply drawn to the person of DinAh, Jacob's daughter… he loved the girl and spoke kindly to her. 4 So Shechem told his father Hamor: 'Take this girl for me to be my woman.'
5 Well, when Jacob heard that Hamor's son had violated his daughter DinAh, he sent for his sons who were out in the fields with his cattle. And Jacob didn't say a word until they all got there. 6 Then Hamor, Shechem's father, went over to talk to Jacob, 7 arriving just as Jacob's sons were returning from the fields. Well when [Jacob's sons] heard [what had happened], they were very upset. It really hurt them, because he'd made a joke of IsraEl by [having sex] with Jacob's daughter… it just shouldn't have happened.
8 But Hamor spoke to them and said: 'My son Shechem has decided in his heart to marry your daughter; so give her to him to be his woman… 9 come and marry among us. Give us your daughters, and take our daughters for your sons… 10 come live among us! Look, there's plenty of room for you, so live here in this land… trade [with us] and prosper here!'
11 Then Shechem said to [DinAh's] father and brothers: 'I'll do whatever I must to find your favor, and we'll give you whatever you ask. 12 Raise the bride price several times and I'll pay whatever you say. Just give me this girl to be my woman!'
13 However, Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor cunningly, because he had violated their sister DinAh. 14 DinAh's brothers (SimeOn and Levi) said to them: 'We won't be able to give our sister to someone who isn't circumcised, because that would dishonor us. 15 The only way we can do what you say and live among you, is if you will become as we are… all your males must be circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you and take your daughters as our women and live with you as one race. 17 But if you refuse to listen and won't get circumcised, we will just take our [sister] and leave.'
18 Well, what they said was agreeable to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 And the young man didn't delay when it came to doing this thing, because he was really attached to Jacob's daughter. Why, he was the most honorable person in his father's house.
20 So Hamor and his son Shechem walked to the city gate and told the men there, 21 'These are peaceable people, so let them live with us in our land and trade in it. Look, there's a lot of land before them, so we will take their daughters to be our women and we'll give them our daughters. 22 The only thing that they require to live among us as one people, is that all our males must be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. 23 And then, won't their cattle, their herds, and their possessions be ours? So, let's do what they say and then they will live among us!'
24 Well, everyone who was there at the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and the foreskins of all the males were circumcised. 25 But on the third day, while they were all aching in pain, Jacob's two sons (DinAh's brothers, SimeOn and Levi) each took his sword and crept into the city, then they killed every male… 26 they killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, and then they took DinAh from Shechem's house and left. 27 And when Jacob's [other] sons came upon those who were wounded, they ravaged the city where DinAh (their sister) had been violated… 28 they took all the sheep, oxen, burros, and everything in the city, as well as everything that was in their fields. 29 Then they took all the people as captives (all their provisions and all their women) and they looted whatever was left in their city and in their homes.
30 Well afterward, Jacob said to SimeOn and Levi: 'You have made me an evil and hated [person] among the people who live in this land… all the CanaAnites and the Pherezites. Why, there are only a few of us, so they will band against me and cut me to pieces, destroying both me and my house!'
31 And they replied: 'Not so! Would [you rather] have then treat our sister as a whore?'
5 Well, when Jacob heard that Hamor's son had violated his daughter DinAh, he sent for his sons who were out in the fields with his cattle. And Jacob didn't say a word until they all got there. 6 Then Hamor, Shechem's father, went over to talk to Jacob, 7 arriving just as Jacob's sons were returning from the fields. Well when [Jacob's sons] heard [what had happened], they were very upset. It really hurt them, because he'd made a joke of IsraEl by [having sex] with Jacob's daughter… it just shouldn't have happened.
8 But Hamor spoke to them and said: 'My son Shechem has decided in his heart to marry your daughter; so give her to him to be his woman… 9 come and marry among us. Give us your daughters, and take our daughters for your sons… 10 come live among us! Look, there's plenty of room for you, so live here in this land… trade [with us] and prosper here!'
11 Then Shechem said to [DinAh's] father and brothers: 'I'll do whatever I must to find your favor, and we'll give you whatever you ask. 12 Raise the bride price several times and I'll pay whatever you say. Just give me this girl to be my woman!'
13 However, Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor cunningly, because he had violated their sister DinAh. 14 DinAh's brothers (SimeOn and Levi) said to them: 'We won't be able to give our sister to someone who isn't circumcised, because that would dishonor us. 15 The only way we can do what you say and live among you, is if you will become as we are… all your males must be circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you and take your daughters as our women and live with you as one race. 17 But if you refuse to listen and won't get circumcised, we will just take our [sister] and leave.'
18 Well, what they said was agreeable to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 And the young man didn't delay when it came to doing this thing, because he was really attached to Jacob's daughter. Why, he was the most honorable person in his father's house.
20 So Hamor and his son Shechem walked to the city gate and told the men there, 21 'These are peaceable people, so let them live with us in our land and trade in it. Look, there's a lot of land before them, so we will take their daughters to be our women and we'll give them our daughters. 22 The only thing that they require to live among us as one people, is that all our males must be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. 23 And then, won't their cattle, their herds, and their possessions be ours? So, let's do what they say and then they will live among us!'
24 Well, everyone who was there at the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and the foreskins of all the males were circumcised. 25 But on the third day, while they were all aching in pain, Jacob's two sons (DinAh's brothers, SimeOn and Levi) each took his sword and crept into the city, then they killed every male… 26 they killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, and then they took DinAh from Shechem's house and left. 27 And when Jacob's [other] sons came upon those who were wounded, they ravaged the city where DinAh (their sister) had been violated… 28 they took all the sheep, oxen, burros, and everything in the city, as well as everything that was in their fields. 29 Then they took all the people as captives (all their provisions and all their women) and they looted whatever was left in their city and in their homes.
30 Well afterward, Jacob said to SimeOn and Levi: 'You have made me an evil and hated [person] among the people who live in this land… all the CanaAnites and the Pherezites. Why, there are only a few of us, so they will band against me and cut me to pieces, destroying both me and my house!'
31 And they replied: 'Not so! Would [you rather] have then treat our sister as a whore?'
2001translation.com
How to comment with Disqus?
The first way to comment is to register in Disqus. If you have no account, click on the Disqus logo and follow the instructions.
You can comment as a guest: check “I’d rather post as a guest” and follow the instructions.
You can sign with your Google, Twitter or Facebook account.
At the moment, comments are not moderate, however, please respect common sense rules and current laws. (Note that moderation may come a posteriori)
The first way to comment is to register in Disqus. If you have no account, click on the Disqus logo and follow the instructions.
You can comment as a guest: check “I’d rather post as a guest” and follow the instructions.
You can sign with your Google, Twitter or Facebook account.
At the moment, comments are not moderate, however, please respect common sense rules and current laws. (Note that moderation may come a posteriori)
Please check this page to read our privacy policy and our use of cookies
This website may use cookies to give you the very best experience. If you continue to visit it, you consent to this - but if you want, you can change your settings in the preferences of your web browser at any time.