The Defiling of Dinah 1 UST Then{ one day} Dinah,{ who was} the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went out to visit with{ some of} the local women. BSB BSB: Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.
2 UST The chief of that region was a Hivite named Hamor. His son Shechem saw{ how beautiful} Dinah was, so he grabbed{ hold of} her and raped her. 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 UST Shechem admired Jacob’ s daughter Dinah so much that he fell in love with her and spoke sweetly to her{ to try to woo her}. BSB BSB: And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.
4 UST Then Shechem said to his father Hamor,“Negotiate{ things} for me so that I can marry this girl.” BSB BSB: So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”
5 UST When Jacob found out that Shechem had dishonored his daughter Dinah, his sons were{ still}{ out} in the fields taking care of his animals, so he did not say anything{ about it} 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 UST Meanwhile,{ Shechem and} his father Hamor went to talk to Jacob. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.
7 UST Soon Jacob’ s sons returned{ home} from the fields. When they heard{ what had happened}, they were shocked and extremely angry that Shechem had dishonored{ the people of} Israel by raping Jacob’ s daughter. No one should ever do such a{ horrible} thing! 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 UST But Hamor urged Jacob and his sons,“My son Shechem deeply loves your daughter{ and sister}.{ So} 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 UST { In fact,} let’ s allow marriage between our two peoples,{ so that} your daughters can marry our{ young men} and your{ young men} can marry our daughters. BSB BSB: Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.
10 UST You can live among us. The land is available for you{ to choose what you want}; live{ in it}{ wherever you want}. You can{ also} trade{ freely} here, and you can buy{ your own}{ land}.” 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 UST Then Shechem said to Dinah’ s father and brothers,“{ Please} be kind to me{ and let me marry her}. Then I will pay{ you} whatever you request from me{ for her}. BSB BSB: Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.
12 UST Set the bride- price and{ marriage} gifts{ that I must pay}{ for her} as high as you want, and I will pay{ you} whatever you ask from me.{ Just please} give the young woman to me to marry.” 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 UST But since Shechem had dishonored their sister Dinah, Jacob’ s sons replied to him and his father Hamor in a deceitful way. BSB BSB: But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully.
14 UST They said to them,“It would not be acceptable for us to let our sister marry a man{ like you} who is not circumcised, because that would dishonor our family! 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 UST The only way that we can agree with your proposal{ is} if{ first} you{ and your people} become like us by circumcising all of your males. BSB BSB: We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males.
16 UST { If you do that,} then we will allow your{ young} men to marry our daughters, and{ we will allow} your daughters to marry our{ young men}. We will{ also} live among you{ in this land}, so that we become one people group. 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 UST However if you refuse to agree with our requirement that you circumcise{ your people}, then we will take our sister and move{ somewhere else}.” BSB BSB: But if you will not agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.”
18 UST What Jacob’ s sons said seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. BSB BSB: Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.
19 UST So right away Shechem, who was the most respected member in his family, started to do what they required, because he was thrilled with Jacob’ s daughter. 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 UST In fact, he and his father Hamor went{ straight} to their city entrance{ for a town meeting}, and they told the elders of their city{ about Jacob and his sons}, BSB BSB: So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:
21 UST “These people are friendly toward us, so{ let’ s} allow them to live in{ our} land and trade{ freely} here. After all, there is more than enough space in the land for them{ too}.{ Besides that,}{ then} 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 UST There is just one thing: They will only agree to live among us and become one people group{ with us} if we circumcise all our males so that we are like them. 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 UST { But if we do that,}{ all} their property,{ including} their livestock and all their{ other} animals will belong to us!{ So} let’ s just agree to do what they require so that 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 UST All{ the men} who were leaders of the city agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, so they circumcised every male in the city, including themselves. 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 UST Three days later, when the men of{ the city of} Shechem were{ all}{ still} sore{ from being circumcised}, two of Jacob’ s sons, Simeon and Levi,{ who were} Dinah’ s brothers, took their swords and attacked the city, with no one opposing them. They killed all the men{ there} 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 UST with their swords, including Hamor and his son Shechem. Then they got Dinah from 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 UST { Next}{ all} Jacob’ s sons went{ into the city} and took everything valuable from the dead bodies and from{ the rest of} the city.{ They did that,} because{ that was where} Shechem had dishonored their sister. BSB BSB: Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted the city, because their sister had been defiled.
28 UST They plundered whatever was in the city and in the{ surrounding} fields, including the people’ s flocks{ of sheep and goats}, their herds{ of cattle} and their donkeys. BSB BSB: They took their flocks and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or in the field.
29 UST They carried away all the valuable things the people of Shechem had owned, including everything that was in their houses. They also captured their women and children. BSB BSB: They carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their houses.
30 UST Later Jacob scolded Simeon and Levi{ by saying},“You have brought me{ serious} trouble by causing the Canaanites and Perizzites who live in this land to hate us! I{ only} have a few men{ to defend us}, so if they{ all} join{ forces} against us and attack us, they will destroy us and{ the rest of} our family!” 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 UST But Simeon and Levi responded,“Shechem should not have treated our sister like a whore!” BSB BSB: But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”