Genesis 34

The Treachery of Jacob’s Sons

1Now 1Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to 2visit the daughters of the land. 2When Shechem the son of Hamor 3the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her 4by force. 35He was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl and 6spoke tenderly to her. 4So Shechem 7spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young girl for a wife.” 5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent 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 it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a 89disgraceful thing in Israel 10by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

8But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him 11in marriage. 9Intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10Thus you shall 12live with us, and 13the land shall be open before you; 14live and 15trade in it and 16acquire property in it.” 11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me. 12Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl 17in marriage.”

13But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to 18one 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 be circumcised, 16then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will 19live with you and become one people. 17But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18Now their words seemed 20reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19The young man did not delay to do the thing, 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 21gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21“These men are 22friendly with us; therefore let them 23live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is 24large enough for them. Let us take their daughters 25in marriage, and give our daughters to them. 22Only on this condition will the men consent to us to 26live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23Will not their livestock and their property and all their animals be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will 27live with us.” 2428All 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.

25Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, 29Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, 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 went forth. 27Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28They took their flocks and 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 all that was in the houses. 30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have 30brought trouble on me by 31making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among 32the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and 3334my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and 35attack me and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” 31But they said, “Should he 36treat our sister as a harlot?”