the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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George Lamsa Translation
Genesis 34
1 AND Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the native girls.2 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.3 And his soul longed for Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the girl, and spoke kindly to the girl, and won her heart.4 And Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, Get me this girl to wife.5 And Jacob heard that Dinah his daughter had been defiled; now his sons were with the cattle in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came.
6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him.7 And the sons of Jacob came from the field, and when they heard the news, they were grieved; and they were very indignant, because they had wrought folly in Israel in the disgracing of Jacobs daughter, which thing ought not to be done.8 And Hamor spoke with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; give her to him in marriage.9 Intermarry with us, and give your daughters to us in marriage, and take our daughters to you,10 And dwell with us; behold, the land is before you; dwell and trade in it and inherit in it.11 And Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, Let me find mercy in your presence, and whatever you shall ask of me I will give.12 Ask me as much as you wish, both dowry and gifts, and I will give you according as you shall say to me; but give me this girl to wife.13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, because they had defiled Dinah their sister,14 And they said to them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised; for that would be a reproach to us;15 But on this condition will we consent to you: that you will become like us, and circumcise every male as we are circumcised;16 Then we will give our daughters to you in marriage, and take your daughters to us in marriage, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.17 But if you will not hearken to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and we will be gone.
18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem, Hamors son.19 And the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he was delighted with Jacobs daughter and he was honored above all the household of his father.20 Then Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their town and spoke to the men of their town, saying,21 These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade in it, for the land is large enough before them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.22 But only on this condition will the men consent to dwell with us, to become one people, when every male among us is circumcised, as they are circumcised.23 Behold, their wealth, their possessions, and all their cattle will eventually be ours; only let us consent to their proposals, and they will dwell with us.24 And when all the adults of the town had heard from Shechem and from his father Hamor, they circumcised every male, those that went out of the gate of his town.
25 And it came to pass on the third day, when the men were sore, two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinahs brothers, took each man his sword, and came against the town quietly, and slew every male.26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechems house, and went out.27 Then the sons of Jacob came back to the slain, and plundered the town, because they had defiled their sister.28 They took their sheep and their oxen and their asses and whatever was in the town and in the field.29 And all their wealth and all their little ones; and their wives they carried captive, and plundered everything that was in the town.30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have done me a great harm, for you have hurt my reputation among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I being few in numbers, they may gather themselves together against me, and attack me; I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.31 But they said, Our sister has been treated like a harlot.