Levi

31The LORD saw that Leah was not loved. So he let her have children. But Rachel could not have children.

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

NoteThe old words say Leah was "hated." It means Jacob loved her less than he loved Rachel.

32Leah was going to have a baby, and she had a son. She named him Reuben. She said, "The LORD has seen my trouble. Now my husband will love me."

And 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.

NoteIn their language, Reuben sounds like "look, a son." Leah chose the name because God had looked at her sadness.

33She had another son. She said, "The LORD heard that I was not loved. So he gave me this son too." She named him Simeon.

And 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.

NoteIn their language, Simeon sounds like the word for "heard."

34She had another son. She said, "Now my husband will hold close to me. I have given him three sons." So he was named Levi.

And 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.

NoteIn their language, Levi sounds like the word for "joined" or "held close."

35She had another son. She said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

And 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.

NoteIn their language, Judah sounds like the word for "praise."

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

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

NoteJacob's family were shepherds who moved from place to place. They were living near a city that was not their home. The young women there were strangers to Dinah.

2Shechem was the son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that land. Shechem saw Dinah. He took her and forced her to lie with him. He shamed her.

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

NoteA Hivite was one of the groups of people living in that land. Shechem's father was the ruler, so his family was powerful. "He shamed her" means he hurt her and took her against her will.

3His heart was tied to Dinah, Jacob's daughter. He loved the girl, and he spoke kindly to her.

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

Note"His heart was tied to Dinah" means he could not stop thinking about her. The King James says his soul "clave" unto her, which means stuck fast.

4Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me this girl to be my wife."

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

NoteLong ago a father often arranged a marriage for his son. The son would ask, and the father would speak to the girl's family.

5Jacob heard that Shechem had shamed his daughter Dinah. His sons were out in the fields with his animals. Jacob stayed quiet until they came home.

And 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.

NoteJacob's sons were far away caring for the sheep and goats. That work often kept them out in the fields for days.

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

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

7Jacob's sons heard about it and came in from the fields. They were full of sadness, and they were very angry. Shechem had done a shameful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter. Such a thing should not be done.

And 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.

NoteIsrael was another name God gave to Jacob. Here it means Jacob and his whole family.

8Hamor talked with them. He said, "My son Shechem wants your daughter very much. Please give her to him as his wife.

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

9Marry among us. Give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves.

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

NoteMarrying into another group meant joining the two families together. After that, they would live as one people and share everything.

10You may live with us. The land is open to you. Live here, trade here, and get land of your own."

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

NoteTo trade means to buy and sell things with people. Hamor was offering them land and a place in his town.

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

And 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.

12Ask me for a large bride price and a large gift. I will give what you say. Only give me the girl as my wife."

Ask 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.

NoteA bride price was a gift given to a bride's family. The man gave it before the wedding to show he was serious.

13Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with a trick. They spoke this way because Shechem had shamed their sister Dinah.

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

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

And 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:

NoteCircumcised means a little bit of skin was cut off a boy. God had told Abraham to do this to every boy in his family. It was a sign that they belonged to God.

15We will agree to you on one thing only. Every man among you must be circumcised, as we are.

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

16Then we will give you our daughters, and we will take your daughters for ourselves. We will live with you and become one people.

Then 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.

Note"Become one people" means the two groups would join into one. They would marry each other and live in the same town.

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

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

18Their words seemed good to Hamor and to Hamor's son Shechem.

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

19The young man did not wait to do it. He was delighted with Jacob's daughter. He was the most respected man in all his father's house.

And 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.

Note"Most respected" means people thought well of him and listened to him. He was the important one in his father's house.

20Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city. They talked with the men of their city. They said,

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

NoteThe gate of a city was where the men met to talk. Important choices for the whole town were made there.

21"These men are peaceful with us. Let them live in the land and trade in it. Look, the land is big enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters.

These 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.

22But the men will agree to live with us and be one people on one thing only. Every man among us must be circumcised, as they are.

Only 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.

23Will not their animals and their goods and all their beasts be ours? Let us just agree with them. Then they will live with us."

Shall 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.

NoteThe men of the city were thinking about getting rich. If Jacob's family joined them, their animals would belong to everyone.

24All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem. Every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

And 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.

25On the third day the men were sore. Two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, were Dinah's brothers. Each one took his sword. They walked into the city boldly and killed every male.

And 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.

NoteAfter being circumcised, men were sore and slow for several days. On the third day the hurt was worst, so they could not fight back.

26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword. They took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went out.

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

27Jacob's sons came upon the dead men and took everything from the city. They did this because their sister had been shamed.

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

NoteAfter a fight, winners often took everything the town owned. That was a common thing in those days.

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

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

29They took all the riches. They took all the little children and the wives as captives. They took everything that was in the houses.

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

NoteCaptives are people who are taken away by force. They had to go live and work with the people who took them.

30Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me. Now the people of this land hate me. They are the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are only a few. They may join together against me and kill me. Then I and my whole family will be destroyed."

And 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.

NoteThe King James says Jacob was made to "stink" among the people. It means everyone around him now hated him. The Canaanites and the Perizzites were other groups living in that land.

31They said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"

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

NoteA prostitute was a woman men paid to use for a night. The brothers meant Shechem had treated their sister as worth nothing.

5"Simeon and Levi are brothers. Cruel weapons are in the places where they live."

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

NoteSimeon and Levi once killed the men of a town called Shechem. They did it to pay back a wrong done to their sister.

6"My soul, do not go into their secret plans. My honor, do not join their meeting. In their anger they killed a man. Because they wanted to, they hamstrung an ox."

O 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.

NoteTo hamstring an ox is to cut its back leg. After that the ox can never walk or work again.

7"A curse is on their anger, for it was wild. A curse is on their rage, for it was cruel. I will split them up among Jacob's family. I will scatter them in Israel."

Cursed 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.

NoteA curse is the opposite of a blessing. Jacob meant their families would be spread apart. They would not all live in one place.

16Here are the names of Levi's sons, listed by family. They were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

And 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.

NoteLevi was one of Jacob's twelve sons. Moses and Aaron came from Levi's family. In these old family lists, people are often said to live very long lives.

17The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimi, with their families.

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

18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

And 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.

19The sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi. These were the families of Levi, listed by family.

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

20Amram married Jochebed, who was his father's sister. She gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

And 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.

NoteJochebed was Amram's aunt, his own father's sister. Long ago some people married close relatives like this. Later God gave rules that stopped it.

8About 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."

And 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;

NoteLevi was one of Jacob's sons. His family group did the work at God's tent. The Urim and Thummim were small objects a priest carried. A priest used them to find out God's answer to a question. Massah and Meribah were desert places where the people complained about water.

9"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 did all this because he obeyed your word and kept your agreement."

Who 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.

NoteLong before, Levi's family chose to obey God even against their own relatives. An agreement here means a promise between God and his people.

10"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."

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

NoteAn altar was a stone table where gifts to God were burned. Burning a whole animal was a way of saying God comes first.

11"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."

Bless, 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.

4Then you will know that I sent you this order. I sent it so my promise with Levi would go on. This is what the LORD All-Powerful says.

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

NoteLevi was one of Jacob's twelve sons, long, long ago. Later his family became the priests. God had made his promise with that family. Levi's family were the priests.

5My 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.

My 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.

NoteTo stand in awe means to feel quiet, deep respect. It is how you feel near something very great.

6True 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.

The 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.

Note"He walked with me" does not mean going for a walk. It means he stayed close to God every day.

7A 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.

For 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.

NotePeople did not have Bibles at home back then. So they came to the priest to learn what God said.

8But 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.

But 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.

NoteTripping and falling here is a word picture. Bad teaching led people to live the wrong way.