The Defiling of Dinah 1 UDB One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the women in that area. BSB BSB: Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.
2 UDB Shechem was one of the sons of Hamor, and he was descended from the people of the Hivites. When he saw her, he took her and forced her to have sex with him. BSB BSB: When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.
3 UDB He was very much attracted to her, and he became attached to her. He loved her and he spoke very tenderly to the girl. BSB BSB: And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.
4 UDB So Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Please get this girl for me. I want her to become my wife!" BSB BSB: So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”
5 UDB When Jacob found out that Shechem had seized his daughter Dinah and slept with her, his sons were still in the fields with his livestock, so he said nothing about this until they returned home. BSB BSB: Jacob 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.
6 UDB In the meantime, Shechem's father Hamor went to talk with Jacob. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.
7 UDB Jacob's sons came in from the field, and when they had found out what had happened, they were shocked and very angry because Shechem had brought much shame to Israel by forcing himself on Jacob's daughter. She was their sister! This was a terrible crime that should never be done. BSB BSB: When 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.
8 UDB But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem really likes this girl who is your daughter and your sister. Please allow him to marry her. BSB BSB: But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.
9 UDB Let us make an agreement: You will give your daughters to our young men to be their wives, and we will give our daughters to your young men to be their wives. BSB BSB: Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.
10 UDB You can live among us and live anywhere in our land that you wish. You can buy and sell things. If you find land that you want, then you can buy it." BSB BSB: You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”
11 UDB Then Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "If you feel good toward me and do what I am asking for, I will give you whatever you ask for. BSB BSB: Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.
12 UDB Tell me what gifts you want and what bride price you want, and I will give you what you ask for. I just want you to give the girl to me to be my wife." BSB BSB: Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”
The Revenge of Dinah’s Brothers 13 UDB But because Shechem had done a shameful thing to their sister Dinah, the sons of Jacob deceived Shechem and his father Hamor. BSB BSB: But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.
14 UDB They said to them, "No, we cannot do that. We cannot give our sister to be the wife of a man who is not circumcised, because that would be a shameful thing for us to do. BSB BSB: “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us.
15 UDB We will do that only if you do one thing: You must become like us by circumcising all the males that are among you. BSB BSB: We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males.
16 UDB Then we will give our daughters to your young men to be your wives, and we will take your daughters to be the wives of our young men. We will live among you, and we will become one people. BSB BSB: Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among you and become one people.
17 UDB But if you do not agree to be circumcised, we will take our sister and leave." BSB BSB: But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”
18 UDB What they said pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. BSB BSB: Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.
19 UDB Shechem wanted very much to take Jacob's daughter as his wife; also, since he was the most respected person in his father's family, he quickly agreed to do what they suggested. BSB BSB: The 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.
20 UDB Shechem went with Hamor to the meeting place at the city gate, and they spoke to the city leaders. They said, BSB BSB: So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:
21 UDB "These men are friendly toward us. We should let them live here and travel around. Certainly the land is big enough to support them and us. Our young men can marry their daughters, and their young men can marry our daughters. BSB BSB: “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.
22 UDB But these men will agree to live among us and become one people with us only if all our males are circumcised, as they are. BSB BSB: But 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.
23 UDB But if we do that, just think! Their cattle, their possessions, and all their animals will become ours! So we should agree to do what they suggest, and then they will live among us!" BSB BSB: Will not their livestock, their possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among us.”
24 UDB All the men who were at the city gate agreed to what Hamor and Shechem suggested. Every male in the city was circumcised. BSB BSB: All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.
25 UDB On the third day after that, when the men of the city were still sore because of being circumcised, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah's brothers, took their swords and entered the city without anyone stopping them, and killed all the men. BSB BSB: Three 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.
26 UDB They even killed Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they took Dinah out of Shechem's house and left the city. BSB BSB: They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away.
27 UDB Then the other sons of Jacob went into the city where all those dead bodies were. They looted the city to get revenge for the shameful thing that had been done to their sister. BSB BSB: Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled.
28 UDB They took away the people's sheep and goats, their cattle, their donkeys, and everything else that they wanted from inside the city and from out in the countryside. BSB BSB: They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field.
29 UDB They took away everything that was valuable, even the children and the women. They seized and took away everything that was in the houses. BSB BSB: They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.
30 UDB Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought me big trouble! Now the Canaanite people, the Perez people, and everyone else who lives in this land will hate me! I do not have many men to fight for us, so if they all gather together and come to me and attack us, they will destroy us and all our household!" BSB BSB: Then 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.”
31 UDB But they replied, "Should we have allowed Shechem to treat our sister like a prostitute?" BSB BSB: But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”