Genesis 34

And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

1Dinah was the daughter of Leah and Jacob. She went out to visit the young women of that land.

2And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

2Shechem saw her. He was the son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that land. He grabbed Dinah and forced himself on her. He hurt her and shamed her.

3And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

3But his heart held on to Dinah, Jacob's daughter. He loved the young girl. He spoke gentle words to her.

4And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

4So Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me this girl. I want her for my wife."

5And 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.

5Jacob heard that Shechem had shamed his daughter Dinah. His sons were far away in the fields with the animals. So Jacob said nothing until they came home.

6And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.

6Meanwhile Hamor, the father of Shechem, went out to talk with Jacob.

7And 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.

7Jacob's sons heard what had happened and came in from the fields. They were full of sadness and anger. Shechem had done a shameful thing to Jacob's family. He had forced himself on Jacob's daughter. Such a thing should never be done.

Note"In Israel" means in Jacob's family. Israel was the new name God gave Jacob.

8And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.

8Hamor talked with them. He said, "My son Shechem wants your daughter very much. Please let her be his wife."

9And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

9"Let our two families marry each other. Give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves."

10And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.

10"You can live here with us. The whole land is open to you. Live here, buy and sell here, and own land here."

11And 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.

11Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "Please be kind to me. I will give you whatever you ask for."

12Ask 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.

12"Ask for a big gift for the bride and for her family. I will pay whatever you say. Just let me marry the girl."

13And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

13Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor. But they were not telling the truth. They planned a trick, because Shechem had shamed their sister Dinah.

14And 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:

14They said, "We cannot do this. We cannot give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a shame to us."

NoteTo be circumcised means a small cut was made on a boy's body. It was the mark that showed a family belonged to God.

15But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;

15"We will say yes to you on one thing only. You must become like us. Every man among you must be circumcised."

16Then 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.

16"Then we will give you our daughters, and we will marry your daughters. We will live with you, and we will all be one people."

17But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

17"But if you will not listen and be circumcised, we will take our sister and go away."

18And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son.

18Their words sounded good to Hamor and to his son Shechem.

19And 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.

19The young man did not wait. He did it right away, because he was so happy about Jacob's daughter. Everyone in his father's house looked up to him most of all.

20And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city. That was where the men of the city met to talk. They said to them:

NoteThe gate of a city was the place where the men met to talk and make decisions, like a town meeting.

21These 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.

21"These men are friendly to us. Let them live in our land and trade here. The land is big enough for them. We can marry their daughters and give them ours."

22Only 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.

22"But they will only live with us and be one people if we agree to one thing. Every man among us must be circumcised, just as they are."

23Shall 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.

23"Then won't their animals and all they own belong to us? Let us just say yes to them. Then they will live with us."

24And 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.

24All the men who met at the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem. So every man in the city was circumcised.

25And 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.

25Three days later the men were still sore and hurting. Two of Jacob's sons took their swords. They were Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers. They walked right into the city. No one was expecting them. They killed every man there.

26And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords. They took Dinah out of Shechem's house and left.

27The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

27Jacob's other sons came to where the dead men lay. They took everything the city had, because their sister had been shamed.

28They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

28They took the sheep, the cows, and the donkeys. They took what was in the city and what was in the fields.

29And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

29They took all the riches too. They took the children and the wives away with them. They emptied out every house.

30And 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.

30Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought big trouble on me. Now the people of this land hate me. I mean the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are only a few people. If they join together and attack me, they will kill me. My whole family will be destroyed."

31And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

31But they said, "Should he treat our sister like a woman men use and throw away?"