Dual Panel1One day Dinah, Leah’s daughter, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.
2But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw her, he took her and raped her.
3But Shechem’s love for Dinah was strong, and he tried to win her affection.
4He even spoke to his father about it. "Get this girl for me," he demanded. "I want to marry her."
5Word soon reached Jacob that his daughter had been defiled, but his sons were out in the fields herding cattle so he did nothing until they returned.
6Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem’s father, came out to discuss the matter with Jacob.
7He arrived just as Jacob’s sons were coming in from the fields. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob’s family, a thing that should never have been done.
8Hamor told Jacob and his sons, "My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter, and he longs for her to be his wife. Please let him marry her.
9We invite you to let your daughters marry our sons, and we will give our daughters as wives for your young men.
10And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. You are free to acquire property among us."
11Then Shechem addressed Dinah’s father and brothers. "Please be kind to me, and let me have her as my wife," he begged. "I will give whatever you require.
12No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will pay it––only give me the girl as my wife."
13But Dinah’s brothers deceived Shechem and Hamor because of what Shechem had done to their sister.
14They said to them, "We couldn’t possibly allow this, because you aren’t circumcised. It would be a disgrace for her to marry a man like you!
15But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are,
16we will intermarry with you and live here and unite with you to become one people.
17Otherwise we will take her and be on our way."
18Hamor and Shechem gladly agreed,
19and Shechem lost no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Dinah desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,
20and he appeared with his father before the town leaders to present this proposal.
21"Those men are our friends," they said. "Let’s invite them to live here among us and ply their trade. For the land is large enough to hold them, and we can intermarry with them.
22But they will consider staying here only on one condition. Every one of us men must be circumcised, just as they are.
23But if we do this, all their flocks and possessions will become ours. Come, let’s agree to this so they will settle here among us."
24So all the men agreed and were circumcised.
25But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi, took their swords, entered the town without opposition, and slaughtered every man there,
26including Hamor and Shechem. They rescued Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp.
27Then all of Jacob’s sons plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there.
28They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys––everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields.
29They also took all the women and children and wealth of every kind.
30Afterward Jacob said to Levi and Simeon, "You have made me stink among all the people of this land––among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will come and crush us. We will all be killed!"
31"Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" they retorted angrily.