New Living Translation

English Standard Version

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

9Make marriages 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.”

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 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.

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.

12No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just 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 since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor.

13The sons of Jacob 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!

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.

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

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 we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live 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 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 we will be gone.”

18Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.

18Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s 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,

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.

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

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

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.”

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

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

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 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.

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 the sword and took Dinah out of 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.

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

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 and their herds, their 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.

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

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 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.”

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

31But they said, “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.

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.