New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.
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Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to meet the women of that country.
2 But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.
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When Shechem the son of the Hivite Hamor and the country's prince saw her, he took her, slept with her, and humiliated her.
3 But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.
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He was drawn to Dinah, Jacob's daughter. He loved the young woman and tried to win her heart.
4 He said to his father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want to marry her.”
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Shechem said to his father Hamor, "Get this girl for me as my wife."
5 Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.
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Now Jacob heard that Shechem defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with the animals in the countryside, so he decided to keep quiet until they got back.
6 Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob.
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Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem's father, went out to Jacob to speak with him.
7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, something that should never be done.
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Just then, Jacob's sons got back from the countryside. When they heard what had happened, they were deeply offended and very angry, because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sleeping with Jacob's daughter. Such things are simply not done.
8 Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. “My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter,” he said. “Please let him marry her.
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Hamor said to them, "My son Shechem's heart is set on your daughter. Please let him marry her.
9 In fact, let’s arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons.
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Arrange marriages with us: give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.
10 And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area.”
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Live with us. The land is available to you: settle down, travel through it, and buy property in it."
11 Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and let me marry her,” he begged. “I will give you whatever you ask.
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Shechem said to Dinah's father and brothers, "If you approve of me, tell me what you want, and I will give it to you.
12 No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife.”
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Make the bride price and marriage gifts as large as you like, and I will pay whatever you tell me. Then let me marry the young woman."
13 But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor.
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Jacob's sons responded deviously to Shechem and his father Hamor because Shechem defiled their sister Dinah.
14 They said to them, “We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you’re not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you!
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They said to them, "We can't do this, allowing our sisters to marry uncircumcised men, because it's disgraceful to us.
15 But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are,
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We can only agree to do this if you circumcise every male as we do.
16 then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people.
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Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves. We will live with you and be one people.
17 But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way.”
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But if you don't listen to us and become circumcised, we will take our daughter and leave."
18 Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.
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Their idea seemed like a good one to Hamor and Hamor's son Shechem.
19 Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,
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The young man didn't waste any time doing this because he liked Jacob's daughter so much. He was more respected than anyone else in his father's household.
20 and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.
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Hamor and his son Shechem went to their city's gate and spoke to the men of their city:
21 “These men are our friends,” they said. “Let’s invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours.
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"These men want peace with us. Let them live in the land and travel through it; there's plenty of land for them. We will marry their daughters and give them our daughters.
22 But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are.
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But the men will agree to live with us and become one people only if we circumcise every male just as they do.
23 But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let’s agree to their terms and let them settle here among us.”
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Their livestock, their property, and all of their animals—won't they be ours? Let's agree with them and let them live with us."
24 So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised.
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Everyone at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, so every able-bodied male in the city was circumcised.
25 But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there,
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On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob's sons and Dinah's brothers Simeon and Levi took their swords, came into the city, which suspected nothing, and killed every male.
26 including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.
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They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem's household, and left.
27 Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob’s sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there.
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When Jacob's other sons discovered the dead, they looted the city that had defiled their sister.
28 They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields.
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They took their flocks, their cattle, and their donkeys, whether in the city or in the fields nearby.
29 They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.
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They carried off their property, their children, and their wives. They looted the entire place.
30 Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”
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Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You've put me in danger by making me offensive to those who live here in the land, to the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have only a few men. They may join forces, attack me, and destroy me, me and my household."
31 “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily.
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They said, "But didn't he treat our sister like a prostitute?"
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