| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 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 Leah 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 son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, 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. | 3And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly. |
| 4He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.” | 4So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as 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. | 5Jacob 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. |
| 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. | 7When 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. |
| 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 said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as 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. | 9Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, 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 may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.” |
| 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 will give you whatever you ask. |
| 12No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.” | 12Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!” |
| 13But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. | 13But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. |
| 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 such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. |
| 15But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, | 15We will consent to this on one condition, that you become circumcised like us—every one of your males. |
| 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 and take your daughters for ourselves. We will dwell among 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 agree to be circumcised, then we will take our sister and go.” |
| 18Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal. | 18Their offer 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, 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. |
| 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 addressed 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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 possessions, and all their animals become ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell among 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 went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was 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, | 25Three 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. |
| 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 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. | 27Jacob’s other sons came upon the slaughter and looted 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 and herds and donkeys, and everything else in the city or 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 carried off all their possessions and women and children, and they plundered everything in their 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 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“But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily. | 31But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” |
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