Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.

1Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land.

2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

2And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her.

3And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.

3And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.

4So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”

4So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”

5Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.

5Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah. But his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob held his peace until they came.

6Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.

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

7When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

7The sons of Jacob had come in from the field as soon as they heard of it, and the men were indignant and very angry, because he had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done.

8But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

8But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife.

9Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves.

9Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves.

10You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”

10You shall dwell with us, and the land shall be open to you. Dwell and trade in it, and get property in it.”

11Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.

11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give.

12Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”

12Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”

13But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.

13The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully, because he had defiled their sister Dinah.

14“We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.

14They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us.

15We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males.

15Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised.

16Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people.

16Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people.

17But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”

17But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.”

18Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.

18Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem.

19The young man, who was the most respected of all his father’s household, did not hesitate to fulfill this request, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.

19And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most honored of all his father’s house.

20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:

20So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying,

21“These men are at peace with us. Let them live and trade in our land; indeed, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them.

21“These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as wives, and let us give them our daughters.

22But only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us and be one people: if all our men are circumcised as they are.

22Only on this condition will the men agree to dwell with us to become one people—when every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised.

23Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”

23Will not their livestock, their property and all their beasts be ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will dwell with us.”

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

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

25Three days later, while they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons (Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi) took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and slaughtered every male.

25On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males.

26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.

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

27Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled.

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

28They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field.

28They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field.

29They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.

29All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered.

30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble upon me by making me a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people of this land. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.”

31But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

31But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.