Genesis  ◦   Chapter 34

1One day, Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, went out to visit some of the young women of Canaan. 2When Shechem the Hivite, son of Hamor the local ruler, saw Dinah, he took her and sexually violated her. 3And he fell in love with Dinah and spoken tenderly to her, seeking to console her and win her affection. 4Shechem told his father Hamor, “I want to marry her. Please make the arrangements for her to be my wife.”

5When Jacob learned that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, Jacob (rather than acting rashly), quietly considered what to do as he waited for his sons to return from the fields with his livestock.

6Shechem’s father Hamor went out to speak with Jacob regarding their two children. 7By this time, Jacob’s sons had returned from the fields. When they heard what had happened to their sister, they were outraged and filled with anger, because Shechem had disgraced Jacob’s entire family by sexually violating Jacob’s daughter – something that should never be done.

8But Hamor proposed to them, “My son Shechem has fallen in love with your daughter and wants to marry her. Please grant your permission for her to be his wife. 9Let us become family – you marry our daughters and we will marry your daughters. 10You can make your home here among us; the land is open for you to settle in: live here, trade with us, and become wealthy here in our land.”

11Then Shechem implored Dinah’s father and brothers, “Forgive me and accept me into the family, and I will do whatever you ask. 12Name whatever bride-price you want and any gift I am to bring – no matter how expensive – and I will gladly pay it. Only agree for Dinah to be my wife.”

13Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons harbored resentment and replied deceitfully to Shechem and his father Hamor: 14“It is impossible for us to give our sister to a man who is not circumcised; such an act would dishonor us. 15But we will give our consent to you if you meet this one condition only, that all your males become circumcised like we are. 16Then we will give our daughters as wives to you and take your daughters to be our wives. We will make our home here and become family. 17But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

18Hamor and his son Shechem happily agreed to their terms. 19The young man was so in love with Jacob’s daughter that he rushed right out to do what they had said. He was highly respected and his opinion carried a lot of weight in the community. 20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the city gate to present their proposal to the men of the city. 21They said, “These men are good men and want to be friends with us. So let’s invite them to make their home here with us and trade here in our land, for there is plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. 22But their men will only agree to make their home here and become family with us on the condition that all our males be circumcised, just as they are. 23But if we do this, then their livestock and property will be joined with ours, and all of us we be enriched. So let’s agree to their terms and invite them to make their home with us.”

24All the men of the city agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25Three days later, when all the men were in pain, weakened and recovering, Jacob’s two sons, Simeon and Levi (Dinah’s full brothers), fueled by anger, took their swords, entered the city unopposed, and killed all the men in the city. 26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s home, and returned to camp. 27After the men of the city had been killed, Jacob’s sons looted the city, justifying their actions as recompense for defiling their sister. 28They took all the property of those they killed – their flocks, herds and donkeys, and everything of value in the city and out in the fields. 29They carried away all the wealth of the city, looting every house. They even took all the women and children away as their captives.

30When Jacob found out what they had done, he chastised Simeon and Levi, saying, “You have brought ruin on me and upon our family! You have destroyed my reputation, tarnished my name, made our family name a foul stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites and the rest of the people living in this land. My family is small; we have few to defend us. They will join forces against my family and attack us and then I and my household will be destroyed.”

31But Simeon and Levi were defiant and said, “We will not stand by and do nothing if someone treats our sister like a prostitute.”