New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

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 visit the daughters of the land.

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

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

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

3He was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl 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 young girl for a 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 Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in.

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

6Then 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.

7Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing ought not to 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 in marriage.

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.

9"Intermarry 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.”

10"Thus you shall live with us, and the land shall be open before you; live and trade in it 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.

11Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, "If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me.

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

12"Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl in marriage."

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 with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.

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,

15"Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male of you be 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 for ourselves, and we will 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.”

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

18Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.

18Now their words seemed reasonable to Hamor and Shechem, Hamor's son.

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 to do the thing, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father.

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 friendly with us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters in marriage, 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.

22"Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be 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.”

23"Will not their livestock and their property and all their animals be ours? Only let us consent to 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 who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to 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,

25Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares, 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 the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem's house, and went forth.

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 upon the slain and looted 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 and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was 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.

29and they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was 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 by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I will be destroyed, 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 as a harlot?"

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.

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