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Genesis 33-34
Contemporary English Version
Genesis 33-34
Contemporary English Version
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Later that day Jacob met Esau coming with his 400 men. So Jacob told his children to walk with their mothers. 2 The two servant women, Zilpah and Bilhah, together with their children went first, followed by Leah and her children, then by Rachel and Joseph. 3 Jacob himself walked in front of them all, bowing to the ground seven times as he came near his brother.
4 But Esau ran toward Jacob and hugged and kissed him. Then the two brothers started crying.
5 When Esau noticed the women and children he asked, “Whose children are these?”
Jacob answered, “These are the children the Lord has been kind enough to give to me, your servant.”
6 Then the two servant women and their children came and bowed down to Esau. 7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down; finally, Joseph and Rachel also came and bowed down.
8 Esau asked Jacob, “Why did you send those herds I met along the road?”
“Master,” Jacob answered, “I sent them so you would be friendly to me.”
9 “But, brother, I already have plenty,” Esau replied. “Keep them for yourself.”
10 “No!” Jacob said. “Please accept them as a sign of your friendship for me. When you welcomed me and I saw your face, it was like seeing the face of God. 11 Please accept these as gifts I brought to you. God has been good to me, and I have everything I need.” Jacob kept insisting until Esau agreed.
12 “Let's get ready to travel,” Esau said. “I'll go along with you.”
13 But Jacob answered, “Master, you know traveling is hard on children, and I have to look after the sheep and goats that are nursing their young. If my animals travel too much in one day, they will all die. 14 Why don't you go on ahead and let me travel along slowly with the children, the herds, and the flocks. We can meet again in the country of Edom.”
15 Esau replied, “Let me leave some of my men with you.”
“You don't have to do that,” Jacob answered. “I am happy, simply knowing that you are friendly to me.”
16 So Esau left for Edom. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth,[a] where he built a house for himself and set up shelters for his animals. That's why the place is called Succoth.
Jacob Arrives at Shechem
18 After leaving northern Syria,[b] Jacob arrived safely at Shechem in Canaan and set up camp outside the city. 19 (A) The land where he camped was owned by the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem. So Jacob paid them 100 pieces of silver[c] for the property, 20 then he set up his tents and built an altar there to honor the God of Israel.
Dinah Is Raped
34 Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the women who lived nearby. 2 She was seen by Hamor's son Shechem, the leader of the Hivites, and he grabbed her and raped her. 3 But Shechem was attracted to Dinah, so he told her how much he loved her. 4 Shechem even asked his father to arrange for him to marry her.
5 Meanwhile, Jacob heard what had happened. But his sons were out in the fields with the cattle, so he did not do anything at the time. 6 Hamor arrived at Jacob's home 7 just as Jacob's sons were coming in from work. When they learned that their sister had been raped, they became furiously angry, because nothing is more disgraceful than rape, and it must not be tolerated.
8 Hamor said to Jacob and his sons:
My son Shechem really loves Dinah. Please let him marry her. 9 Why don't you start letting your families marry into our families and ours marry into yours? 10 You can share this land with us. Move freely about until you find the property you want; then buy it and settle down here.
11 Shechem added, “Do this favor for me, and I'll give whatever you want. 12 Ask anything, no matter how expensive. I'll do anything, just let me marry Dinah.”
13 Jacob's sons wanted to get even with Shechem and his father because of what had happened to their sister. 14 So they tricked them by saying:
You're not circumcised![d] It would be a disgrace for us to let you marry Dinah now. 15 But we will let you marry her, if you and the other men in your tribe agree to be circumcised. 16 Then your families can marry into ours, and ours can marry into yours, and we can live together like one nation. 17 But if you don't agree to be circumcised, we'll take Dinah and leave this place.
18 Hamor and Shechem liked what was said. 19 Shechem was the most respected person in his family, and he was so in love with Dinah that he hurried off to get everything done. 20 The two men met with the other leaders of their city and told them:
21 These people really are friendly. Why not let them move freely about until they find the property they want? There's enough land here for them and for us. Then our families can marry into theirs, and theirs can marry into ours.
22 We have to do only one thing before they will agree to stay here and become one nation with us. Our men will have to be circumcised just like theirs. 23 Just think! We'll get their property, as well as their flocks and herds. All we have to do is to agree, and they will live here with us.
24 Every grown man followed this advice and got circumcised.
Dinah's Brothers Take Revenge
25 Three days later the men who had been circumcised were still weak from pain. So Simeon and Levi,[e] two of Dinah's brothers, attacked with their swords and killed every man in the town, 26 including Hamor and Shechem. Then they took Dinah and left. 27 Jacob's other sons came and took everything they wanted. All this was done because of the horrible thing that had happened to their sister. 28 They took sheep, goats, donkeys, and everything else that was in the town or the countryside. 29 After taking everything of value from the houses, they dragged away the wives and children of their victims.
30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “Look what you've done! Now I'm in real trouble with the Canaanites and Perizzites who live around here. There aren't many of us, and if they attack, they'll kill everyone in my household.”
31 They answered, “Was it right to let our own sister be treated that way?”
Footnotes
- 33.17 Succoth: In Hebrew “Succoth” means “shelters.”
- 33.18 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
- 33.19 pieces of silver: Or “lambs” or “cattle.”
- 34.14 You're not circumcised: Israelite boys were circumcised when they were eight days old, and no uncircumcised man could be part of the people of Israel.
- 34.25 Simeon and Levi: Dinah's full brothers.
Genesis 33-34
New International Version
Genesis 33-34
New International Version
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;(A) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.(B) 2 He put the female servants and their children(C) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph(D) in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground(E) seven times(F) as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau(G) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.(H) And they wept.(I) 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.(J)”
6 Then the female servants and their children(K) approached and bowed down.(L) 7 Next, Leah and her children(M) came and bowed down.(N) Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,(O) and they too bowed down.
8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”(P)
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,”(Q) he said.
9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty,(R) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,(S) accept this gift(T) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,(U) now that you have received me favorably.(V) 11 Please accept the present(W) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me(X) and I have all I need.”(Y) And because Jacob insisted,(Z) Esau accepted it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord(AA) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.(AB) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds(AC) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.(AD)”
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”(AE)
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.(AF) 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,(AG) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.[a]
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[b](AH) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem(AI) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor,(AJ) the father of Shechem,(AK) the plot of ground(AL) where he pitched his tent.(AM) 20 There he set up an altar(AN) and called it El Elohe Israel.[d]
Dinah and the Shechemites
34 Now Dinah,(AO) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem(AP) son of Hamor(AQ) the Hivite,(AR) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(AS) 3 His heart was drawn to Dinah(AT) daughter of Jacob;(AU) he loved(AV) the young woman and spoke tenderly(AW) to her. 4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(AX)
5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,(AY) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.
6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(AZ) 7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked(BA) and furious,(BB) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[e] Israel(BC) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.(BD)
8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(BE) 9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.(BF) 10 You can settle among us;(BG) the land is open to you.(BH) Live in it, trade[f] in it,(BI) and acquire property in it.(BJ)”
11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,(BK) and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride(BL) 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.”
13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,(BM) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully(BN) as they spoke 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.(BO) That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition(BP) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.(BQ) 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.(BR) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.(BS) 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”
18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored(BT) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.(BU) 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(BV) to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;(BW) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(BX) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(BY) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(BZ) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(CA)”
24 All the men who went out of the city gate(CB) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.
25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,(CC) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(CD) and Levi,(CE) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(CF) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(CG) killing every male.(CH) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(CI) and took Dinah(CJ) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(CK) where[g] their sister had been defiled.(CL) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(CM) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(CN) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(CO) taking as plunder(CP) everything in the houses.(CQ)
30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(CR) on me by making me obnoxious(CS) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(CT) We are few in number,(CU) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”
31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?(CV)”
Footnotes
- Genesis 33:17 Sukkoth means shelters.
- Genesis 33:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 33:19 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.
- Genesis 33:20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.
- Genesis 34:7 Or against
- Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
- Genesis 34:27 Or because
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