Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,(A) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. When Shechem(B) son of Hamor(C) the Hivite,(D) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(E) His heart was drawn to Dinah(F) daughter of Jacob;(G) he loved(H) the young woman and spoke tenderly(I) to her. And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(J)

When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,(K) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(L) Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked(M) and furious,(N) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[a] Israel(O) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.(P)

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(Q) Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.(R) 10 You can settle among us;(S) the land is open to you.(T) Live in it, trade[b] in it,(U) and acquire property in it.(V)

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,(W) and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride(X) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,(Y) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully(Z) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.(AA) That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition(AB) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.(AC) 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.(AD) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.(AE) 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored(AF) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.(AG) 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(AH) to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;(AI) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(AJ) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(AK) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(AL) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(AM)

24 All the men who went out of the city gate(AN) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,(AO) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(AP) and Levi,(AQ) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(AR) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(AS) killing every male.(AT) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(AU) and took Dinah(AV) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(AW) where[c] their sister had been defiled.(AX) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(AY) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(AZ) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(BA) taking as plunder(BB) everything in the houses.(BC)

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(BD) on me by making me obnoxious(BE) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(BF) We are few in number,(BG) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?(BH)

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel(BI) and settle there, and build an altar(BJ) there to God,(BK) who appeared to you(BL) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”(BM)

So Jacob said to his household(BN) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods(BO) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.(BP) Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,(BQ) who answered me in the day of my distress(BR) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.(BS) So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,(BT) and Jacob buried them under the oak(BU) at Shechem.(BV) Then they set out, and the terror of God(BW) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.(BX)

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz(BY) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.(BZ) There he built an altar,(CA) and he called the place El Bethel,[d](CB) because it was there that God revealed himself to him(CC) when he was fleeing from his brother.(CD)

Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,(CE) died and was buried under the oak(CF) outside Bethel.(CG) So it was named Allon Bakuth.[e]

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,[f](CH) God appeared to him again and blessed him.(CI) 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,[g] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[h](CJ) So he named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty[i];(CK) be fruitful and increase in number.(CL) A nation(CM) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.(CN) 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.(CO)(CP) 13 Then God went up from him(CQ) at the place where he had talked with him.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar(CR) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering(CS) on it; he also poured oil on it.(CT) 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.[j](CU)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(CV)

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,(CW) Rachel(CX) began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(CY) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(CZ) 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[k](DA) But his father named him Benjamin.[l](DB)

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath(DC) (that is, Bethlehem(DD)). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day(DE) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.(DF)

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.(DG) 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine(DH) Bilhah,(DI) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:(DJ)

Reuben the firstborn(DK) of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah,(DL) Issachar and Zebulun.(DM)

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph(DN) and Benjamin.(DO)

25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:(DP)

Dan and Naphtali.(DQ)

26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:(DR)

Gad(DS) and Asher.(DT)

These were the sons of Jacob,(DU) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.(DV)

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac(DW) in Mamre,(DX) near Kiriath Arba(DY) (that is, Hebron),(DZ) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.(EA) 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.(EB) 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,(EC) old and full of years.(ED) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.(EE)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:7 Or against
  2. Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
  3. Genesis 34:27 Or because
  4. Genesis 35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel.
  5. Genesis 35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
  6. Genesis 35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26
  7. Genesis 35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  8. Genesis 35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  9. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  10. Genesis 35:15 Bethel means house of God.
  11. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
  12. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.

34 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.

And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.

And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.

And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done.

And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.

And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

10 And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.

11 And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.

12 Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.

13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:

15 But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;

16 Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.

18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.

19 And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.

20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

21 These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

22 Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.

23 Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of their's be our's? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.

24 And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.

25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,

29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.

30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.

31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

35 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.

21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

23 The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:

24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:

26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

The Dinah Incident

34 Now (A)Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he (B)took her and lay with her, and violated her. His soul [a]was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke [b]kindly to the young woman. So Shechem (C)spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this young woman as a wife.”

And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob (D)held[c] his peace until they came. Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he (E)had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, (F)a thing which ought not to be done. But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. And make marriages with us; give your daughters to us, and take our daughters to yourselves. 10 So you shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade in it, and acquire possessions for yourselves in it.”

11 Then Shechem said to her father and her brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you say to me I will give. 12 Ask me ever so much (G)dowry[d] and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.”

13 But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father, and spoke (H)deceitfully, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is (I)uncircumcised, for (J)that would be a reproach to us. 15 But on this condition we will consent to you: If you will become as we are, if every male of you is circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us; and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. 17 But if you will not heed us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and be gone.”

18 And their words pleased Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was (K)more honorable than all the household of his father.

20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the (L)gate of their city, and spoke with the men of their city, saying: 21 “These men are at peace with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it. For indeed the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us as wives, and let us give them our daughters. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us is circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock, their property, and every animal of theirs be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will dwell with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city heeded Hamor and Shechem his son; every male was circumcised, all who (M)went out of the gate of his city.

25 Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, (N)Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. 26 And they (O)killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. 28 They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, 29 and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, (P)“You have (Q)troubled me (R)by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; (S)and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”

31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

Jacob’s Return to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to (T)Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, (U)who appeared to you (V)when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”

And Jacob said to his (W)household and to all who were with him, “Put away (X)the foreign gods that are among you, (Y)purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, (Z)who answered me in the day of my distress (AA)and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign [e]gods which were in their hands, and the (AB)earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under (AC)the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.

And they journeyed, and (AD)the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to (AE)Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. And he (AF)built an altar there and called the place [f]El Bethel, because (AG)there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.

Now (AH)Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called [g]Allon Bachuth.

Then (AI)God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and (AJ)blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; (AK)your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, (AL)but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. 11 Also God said to him: (AM)“I am God Almighty. (AN)Be fruitful and multiply; (AO)a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12 The (AP)land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” 13 Then God (AQ)went[h] up from him in the place where He talked with him. 14 So Jacob (AR)set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, (AS)Bethel.

Death of Rachel

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; (AT)you will have this son also.” 18 And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name [i]Ben-Oni; but his father called him [j]Benjamin. 19 So (AU)Rachel died and was buried on the way to (AV)Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave (AW)to this day.

21 Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond (AX)the tower of Eder. 22 And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and (AY)lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it.

Jacob’s Twelve Sons

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23 the sons of Leah were (AZ)Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.

Death of Isaac

27 Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at (BA)Mamre, or (BB)Kirjath Arba[k] (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and (BC)was [l]gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And (BD)his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 34:3 Lit. clung to
  2. Genesis 34:3 tenderly
  3. Genesis 34:5 kept silent
  4. Genesis 34:12 bride-price
  5. Genesis 35:4 idols
  6. Genesis 35:7 Lit. God of the House of God
  7. Genesis 35:8 Lit. Terebinth of Weeping
  8. Genesis 35:13 departed
  9. Genesis 35:18 Lit. Son of My Sorrow
  10. Genesis 35:18 Lit. Son of the Right Hand
  11. Genesis 35:27 Lit. Town or City of Arba
  12. Genesis 35:29 Joined his ancestors