New International Version NIV
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land.
1
Dinah was the daughter Leah had by Jacob. Dinah went out to visit the women of the land.
2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.
2
Hamor the Hivite was the ruler of that area. When his son Shechem saw Dinah, he took her and raped her.
3 His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her.
3
Then his heart longed for Jacob's daughter Dinah. He fell in love with her and spoke tenderly to her.
4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”
4
Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get me that woman. I want her to be my wife."
5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.
5
Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been made "unclean." His sons were in the fields with his livestock. So he kept quiet about it until they came home.
6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.
6
Then Shechem's father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.
7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.
7
Jacob's sons had come in from the fields. They came as soon as they heard what had happened. They were filled with sadness and anger. Shechem had done a very terrible thing. He had forced Jacob's daughter to have sex with him. He had done something that should never be done in Israel.
8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.
8
But Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem wants your daughter. Please give her to him to be his wife.
9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.
9
"Let your people and ours get married to each other. Give us your daughters as our wives. You can have our daughters as your wives.
10 You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”
10
You can settle among us. Here is the land. Live in it. Trade in it. Buy property in it."
11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask.
11
Then Shechem spoke to Dinah's father and brothers. He said, "I want to please you. I'll give you anything you ask.
12 Make the price for the bride 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.”
12
Make the price for the bride as high as you want to. I'll pay anything you ask me. Just give me the woman. I want to get married to her."
13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor.
13
Their sister Dinah had been made "unclean." So Jacob's sons lied 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. That would be a disgrace to us.
14
They said to them, "We can't do it. We can't give our sister to a man who isn't circumcised. That would bring shame on us.
15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.
15
We'll agree, but only on one condition. You will have to become like us. You will have to circumcise all of your males.
16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.
16
"Then we'll give you our daughters as your wives. And we'll take your daughters as our wives. We'll settle among you and become one people with you.
17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”
17
But if you won't agree to it, then we'll take our sister and go."
18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.
18
Their offer seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem.
19 The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.
19
The young man was the most honored of all of the men in his father's family. He didn't lose any time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter.
20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city.
20
Hamor and his son Shechem went to the city gate. They spoke to the other men in town.
21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.
21
"These men are friendly toward us," they said. "Let them live in our land. Let them trade in it. The land has plenty of room for them. We can get married to their daughters. And they can marry ours.
22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are.
22
"But they will agree to live with us as one people only on one condition. All of our males must be circumcised, just as they are.
23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”
23
"Won't their livestock and their property belong to us? Won't all of their animals become ours? So let's say yes to them. Then they'll settle among us."
24 All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.
24
All of the men who went out through the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem. So every male in the city was circumcised.
25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.
25
Three days later, all of them were still in pain. Then Simeon and Levi took their swords. They were Jacob's sons and Dinah's brothers. They attacked the city when the people didn't expect it. They killed every male.
26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left.
26
They also killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords. Then they took Dinah from Shechem's house and left.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled.
27
Jacob's other sons found the dead bodies. They robbed the city where their sister had been made "unclean."
28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.
28
They took the flocks and herds and donkeys. They took everything that was in the city and out in the fields.
29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.
29
They carried everything away. And they took all of the women and children. They took away everything that was in the houses.
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
30
Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me. Now I'm like a very bad smell to the Canaanites and Perizzites who live in this land. There aren't many of us. They may join together against me and attack me. Then I and my family will be destroyed."
31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
31
But they replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?"
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.