Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Dinah, the daughter of Leah whom Jacob had borne to him, went out to see the daughters of the land. When Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite and prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her, defiling her.

Shechem's soul was deeply drawn to Dinah, Jacob's daughter, and he fell in love with her, speaking kindly to her. He spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me Dinah, Jacob's daughter, as my wife."

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah; and his sons were with their livestock in the field, but Jacob held his peace until they came. Then the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had committed a grave offense in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, which should not have been done.

Hamor spoke with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; I ask you to give her to him as his wife. And make marriages with us, and give your daughters to our sons in marriage, and take our daughters for yourselves in marriage. And you shall live among us, with the land at your disposal to settle and trade in, acquiring possessions within it."

Shechem said to her father and brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will do whatever you ask of me. Ask me whatever dowry and gift you desire, and I will give it to you; but let me marry the young woman." The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, saying, "We cannot give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; but if you will be circumcised like us, then we will give our daughters to you, and take your daughters for ourselves, and live among you as one."

"We cannot do this thing," they said, "to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that would be a reproach unto us. But in this will we consent unto you: if ye will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised." We will give our daughters to you in marriage, and we will take your daughters to be our wives, and we will live among you as one people.

"If you will not agree to be circumcised," they continued, "then we will take our daughter and leave. And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem his son. The young man did not hesitate to do this thing because he had taken a liking to Jacob's daughter and was considered more distinguished than all the members of his father's household.

Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying, "We will consent to them to dwell with us as one people only if every male among us be circumcised, just as they are circumcised. These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land and trade therein, for the land is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to be our wives, and give them our own.

"Only in this will the men agree with us to live among us, to become one people, if every male among us is circumcised like them. Shall not their cattle and possessions, along with every beast they have, become ours? Only let us agree to them, and they will live among us."

And all the men who went out of the city gate hearkened to Hamor and Shechem his son, and every male among them was circumcised. On the third day, when they were severely afflicted, Simeon and Levi took each man his sword and came upon the city boldly, slaying all its males.

They slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city because they had profaned their sister.

They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their donkeys, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field. They took captive all their wealth, wives, and little ones, plundering everything in the house.

Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me to make me stink among the Canaanites and 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." They said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"