34:1 Now Dinah, Leah’s daughter whom she bore to Jacob, went to meet 1 the young women 2 of the land. 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, who ruled that area, saw her, he grabbed her, forced himself on her, 3 and sexually assaulted her. 4 34:3 Then he became very attached 5 to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. 6 34:4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Acquire this young girl as my wife.” 7 34:5 When 8 Jacob heard that Shechem 9 had violated his daughter Dinah, his sons were with the livestock in the field. So Jacob remained silent 10 until they came in.
34:6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went to speak with Jacob about Dinah. 11 34:7 Now Jacob’s sons had come in from the field when they heard the news. 12 They 13 were offended 14 and very angry because Shechem 15 had disgraced Israel 16 by sexually assaulting 17 Jacob’s daughter, a crime that should not be committed. 18
34:8 But Hamor made this appeal to them: “My son Shechem is in love with your daughter. 19 Please give her to him as his wife. 34:9 Intermarry with us. 20 Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. 21 34:10 You may live 22 among us, and the land will be open to you. 23 Live in it, travel freely in it, 24 and acquire property in it.”
34:11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s 25 father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your sight, and whatever you require of me 26 I’ll give. 27 34:12 You can make the bride price and the gift I must bring very expensive, 28 and I’ll give 29 whatever you ask 30 of me. Just give me the young woman as my wife!”
34:13 Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor deceitfully when they spoke because Shechem 31 had violated their sister Dinah. 34:14 They said to them, “We cannot give 32 our sister to a man who is not circumcised, for it would be a disgrace 33 to us. 34:15 We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become 34 like us by circumcising 35 all your males. 34:16 Then we will give 36 you our daughters to marry, 37 and we will take your daughters as wives for ourselves, and we will live among you and become one people. 34:17 But if you do not agree to our terms 38 by being circumcised, then we will take 39 our sister 40 and depart.”
34:18 Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. 41 34:19 The young man did not delay in doing what they asked 42 because he wanted Jacob’s daughter Dinah 43 badly. (Now he was more important 44 than anyone in his father’s household.) 45 34:20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate 46 of their city and spoke to the men of their city, 34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough 47 for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. 48 34:22 Only on this one condition will these men consent to live with us and become one people: They demand 49 that every male among us be circumcised just as they are circumcised.