New Living Translation

Christian Standard Bible

1One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.

1Leah's daughter Dinah, whom Leah bore to Jacob, went out to see some of the young women of the area.

2But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.

2When Shechem--son of Hamor the Hivite, who was the region's chieftain--saw her, he took her and raped her.

3But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.

3He became infatuated with Jacob's daughter Dinah. He loved the young girl and spoke tenderly to her.

4He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.”

4"Get me this girl as a wife," he told his father.

5Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.

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

6Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob.

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

7Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, something that should never be done.

7Jacob's sons returned from the field when they heard about the incident and were deeply grieved and very angry. For Shechem had committed an outrage against Israel by raping Jacob's daughter, and such a thing should not be done.

8Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her.

8Hamor said to Jacob's sons, "My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife.

9In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons.

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

10And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”

10Live with us. The land is before you. Settle here, move about, and acquire property in it."

11Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask.

11Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "Grant me this favor, and I'll give you whatever you say.

12No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”

12Demand of me a high compensation and gift; I'll give you whatever you ask me. Just give the girl to be my wife!"

13But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor.

13But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully because he had defiled their sister Dinah.

14They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you!

14"We cannot do this thing," they said to them. "Giving our sister to an uncircumcised man is a disgrace to us.

15But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are,

15We will agree with you only on this condition: if all your males are circumcised as we are.

16then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people.

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

17But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”

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

18Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.

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

19Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,

19The young man did not delay doing this, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. Now he was the most important in all his father's family.

20and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.

20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city.

21“These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours.

21"These men are peaceful toward us," they said. "Let them live in our land and move about in it, for indeed, the region is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters as our wives and give our daughters to them.

22But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are.

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

23But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”

23Won't their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us agree with them, and they will live with us."

24So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised.

24All the men who had come to the city gates listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and all those men were circumcised.

25But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there,

25On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords, went into the unsuspecting city, and killed every male.

26including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.

26They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went away.

27Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there.

27Jacob's sons came to the slaughter and plundered the city because their sister had been defiled.

28They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields.

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

29They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.

29They captured all their possessions, dependents, and wives and plundered everything in the houses.

30Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”

30Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me, making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed."

31“But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.

31But they answered, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.