Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
When Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, he sent twelve
servants to fetch Dinah from Shechem's house, but Shechem went out to
them with his men, and drove them from his house, and he would not
suffer them to come unto Dinah, and he kissed and embraced her before
their eyes. Jacob then sent two maidens of his servants' daughters to
remain with Dinah in the house of Shechem. Shechem bade three of his
friends go to his father Hamor, the son of Haddakum, the son of Pered,
and say, "Get me this damsel to wife." Hamor tried at first to persuade
his son not to take a Hebrew woman to wife, but when Shechem persisted
in his request, he did according to the word of his son, and went forth
to communicate with Jacob concerning the matter. In the meanwhile the
sons of Jacob returned from the field, and, kindled with wrath, they
spoke unto their father, saying, "Surely death is due to this man and
his household, because the Lord God of the whole earth commanded Noah
and his children that man shall never rob nor commit adultery. Now,
behold, Shechem has ravaged and committed fornication with our sister,
and not one of all the people of the city spake a word to him." And
whilst they were speaking, Hamor came to speak to Jacob the words of
his son concerning Dinah, and after he ceased to speak, Shechem himself
came to Jacob and repeated the request made by his father. Simon and
Levi answered Hamor and Shechem deceitfully, saying: "All you have
spoken unto us we will do. And, behold, our sister is in your house,
but keep away from her until we send to our father Isaac concerning
this matter, for we can do nothing without his counsel. He knows the
ways of our father Abraham, and whatever he saith unto us we will tell
you, we will conceal nothing from you."
Shechem and his father went home thereafter, satisfied with the result
achieved, and when they had gone, the sons of Jacob asked him to seek
counsel and pretext in order to kill all the inhabitants of the city,
who had deserved this punishment on account of their wickedness. Then
Simon said to them: "I have good counsel to give you. Bid them be
circumcised. If they consent not, we shall take our daughter from them,
and go away. And if they consent to do this, then, when they are in
pain, we shall attack them and slay them." The next morning Shechem and
his father came again to Jacob, to speak concerning Dinah, and the sons
of Jacob spoke deceitfully to them, saying: "We told our father Isaac
all your words, and your words pleased him, but he said, that thus did
Abraham his father command him from God, that any man that is not of
his descendants, who desireth to take one of his daughters to wife,
shall cause every male belonging to him to be circumcised."
Shechem and his father hastened to do the wishes of the sons of Jacob,
and they persuaded also the men of the city to do likewise, for they
were greatly esteemed by them, being the princes of the land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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