Knox Bible

1

A time came when Dina, Lia’s daughter, went out to visit some of the women who dwelt in that country.

2

And one of the chieftains, Sichem, son of Hemor the Hevite, cast longing eyes at her; then seized her and mated with her, violating her virginity.

3

And indeed his heart was set on her, so he comforted her sorrow,

4

and went to his father Hemor, asking him to demand the girl’s hand in marriage.

5

When Jacob was told of it, his sons were away, engaged in feeding their cattle; so he kept silence, awaiting their return.

6

But even as Hemor, Sichem’s father, was on his way to confer with Jacob,

7

Jacob’s sons came back from the plains and heard what had befallen. They fell into a great rage; Sichem had dishonoured the whole race of Israel, and done great wrong, by violating their father’s daughter.

8

And now Hemor began to plead with them, My son Sichem has set his heart on this maid of yours; grant him her hand in marriage.

9

It is well that we should intermarry, that you should give us your daughters, and wed ours,

10

and settle down amongst us. Our country is yours; you may till and trade and have your dwelling here.

11

Sichem, too, said to her father and her brethren, Grant my request, and I will pay whatever price you name.

12

Increase the sum of the dowry, ask for presents in addition, you shall have what you will so you will let me make the girl my wife.

13

But the sons of Jacob, enraged at their sister’s disgrace, made a treacherous answer to Sichem and his father:

14

We cannot grant your request, if it means bestowing our sister’s hand on a husband who is not circumcised; that is a forbidden thing, abominable to us.

15

But we can enter into a treaty with you, if you will consent to be like ourselves, and have every male among you circumcised;

16

then we will give our daughters to you in marriage, and accept yours; we will share your country, and form one people with you.

17

If you refuse to be circumcised, we must take the girl with us and be gone.

18

This offer of theirs commended itself to Hemor and his son Sichem;

19

nor did the young man lose any time in having their request fulfilled, such was his love for the girl, and such was the influence he had with all his father’s kindred.

20

They both went to the city gate, and there made it known to the people:

21

These are peaceable folk, ready to share our country with us; let us allow them to trade here and to till the land, wide and open as it is, and in need of farming; let us marry their daughters, and give them ours in exchange.

22

There is but one thing that stands in the way of this happy agreement. We must adopt the custom of their race, and have all the males among us circumcised.

23

Then their wealth and these cattle of theirs and all they have will be ours too; we have only to humour them in this, to make them form one people with us.

24

To this everyone agreed, and all their men folk were circumcised.

25

The third day came, which is the day on which the pain of the wound is most felt. Then, two of Jacob’s sons, who were brothers to Dina, Simeon and Levi, took up their swords, and made their way boldly into the city, where they killed all the men folk;

26

making an end of Hemor and Sichem with the rest, and carrying off their sister Dina from Sichem’s house.

27

When they had left the city, the rest of Jacob’s sons broke in, to find the men already slain; so they plundered the city to avenge the wrong done;

28

making spoil of their sheep and oxen and asses and all they found in houses or in fields,

29

and seizing their children and their wives as captives.

30

Recklessly the deed was done; in vain did Jacob protest to Simeon and Levi, You have much injured me, to Chanaanite and Pherezite all around making my name abominable; see how few we are! If they make common cause against me, I and mine will perish.

31

What, they answered, should we allow him to treat our sister like a harlot?