Levi

31And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

The LORD saw that Leah was not loved. So he let her have babies. But Rachel could not have babies.

32And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

Leah had a baby boy. She named him Reuben. She said, "The LORD saw how sad I was. Now my husband will love me."

33And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

She had another baby boy. She said, "The LORD heard that I am not loved. So he gave me this son too." She named him Simeon.

34And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

She had another baby boy. She said, "Now my husband will stay close to me. I have given him three sons." So he was named Levi.

35And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

She had another baby boy. She said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. After that she stopped having babies.

1And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

Dinah 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.

Shechem 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.

But 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.

So 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.

Jacob 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.

Meanwhile 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.

Jacob'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.

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

Hamor 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.

"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.

"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.

Then 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.

"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:

Jacob'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:

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

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

"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.

"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.

"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.

Their 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.

The 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,

So 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:

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

All 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.

Three 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.

They 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.

Jacob'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,

They 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.

They 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.

Jacob 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?

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

5Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

"Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are tools for hurting people."

6O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

"I will never join their secret plans. I will never sit in their meetings. When they were angry, they killed men. When they felt like it, they crippled oxen."

7Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

"Their anger is cursed, because it was so strong. Their rage is cursed, because it was cruel. I will split them up and scatter them among the family of Israel."

16And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

Here are the names of Levi's sons, listed by family. They were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

17The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimi, with their families.

18And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

19And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

The sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi. These were the families of Levi, listed by family.

20And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

Amram married Jochebed, who was his father's sister. She gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

8And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

About Levi he said: "Give your Thummim and your Urim to Levi, who belongs to you. You tested him at Massah. You argued with him at the waters of Meribah."

9Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.

"He said about his father and mother, 'I do not put them first.' He did not take his brothers' side, or even his own sons'. He obeyed your word and kept his agreement with you."

10They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.

"Levi's family will teach your rules to Jacob and your law to Israel. They will burn incense, sweet-smelling smoke, in front of you. They will bring whole animals to burn on your altar."

11Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

"LORD, bless all that Levi owns. Be pleased with the work of his hands. Strike down anyone who attacks him. Let those who hate him never stand up again."

4And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

Then you will know that I sent you this order. I sent it so my promise with Levi would go on. Levi's family were the priests. This is what the LORD All-Powerful says.

5My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

My promise with Levi gave him life and peace. I gave those to him. In return he was to honor me. And he did honor me and stood in awe of my name.

6The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

True teaching was in his mouth. Nothing false came from his lips. He walked with me in peace and did what was right. He turned many people away from doing wrong.

7For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

A priest's lips should hold on to what is true. People should come to him to learn God's teaching. He is the messenger of the LORD All-Powerful.

8But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

But you have turned away from the right path. Your teaching has made many people trip and fall. You have broken the promise made with Levi, says the LORD All-Powerful.