1. Hereupon Jacob came to the place, till this day called Tents
[Succoth]; from whence he went to Shechem, which is a city of the
Canaanites. Now as the Shechemites were keeping a festival Dina, who was
the only daughter of Jacob, went into the city to see the finery of the
women of that country. But when Shechem, the son of Hamor the king, saw
her, he defiled her by violence; and being greatly in love with her,
desired of his father that he would procure the damsel to him for a
wife. To which desire he condescended, and came to Jacob, desiring him
to give leave that his son Shechem might, according to law, marry Dina.
But Jacob, not knowing how to deny the desire of one of such great
dignity, and yet not thinking it lawful to marry his daughter to a
stranger, entreated him to give him leave to have a consultation about
what he desired him to do. So the king went away, in hopes that Jacob
would grant him this marriage. But Jacob informed his sons of the
defilement of their sister, and of the address of Hamor; and desired
them to give their advice what they should do. Upon thiss, the greatest
part said nothing, not knowing what advice to give. But Simeon and Levi,
the brethren of the damsel by the same mother, agreed between themselves
upon the action following: It being now the time of a festival, when the
Shechemites were employed in ease and feasting, they fell upon the watch
when they were asleep, and, coming into the city, slew all the males 38
as also the king, and his son, with them; but spared the women. And when
they had done this without their father's consent, they brought away
their sister.
2. Now while Jacob was astonished at the greatness of this act, and was
severely blaming his sons for it, God stood by him, and bid him be of
good courage; but to purify his tents, and to offer those sacrifices
which he had vowed to offer when he went first into Mesopotamia, and saw
his vision. As he was therefore purifying his followers, he lighted upon
the gods of Laban; [for he did not before know they were stolen by
Rachel;] and he hid them in the earth, under an oak, in Shechem. And
departing thence, he offered sacrifice at Bethel, the place where he saw
his dream, when he went first into Mesopotamia.
3. And when he was gone thence, and was come over against Ephrata, he
there buried Rachel, who died in child-bed: she was the only one of
Jacob's kindred that had not the honor of burial at Hebron. And when he
had mourned for her a great while, he called the son that was born of
her Benjamin, 39 because of the sorrow the mother had with him. These
are all the children of Jacob, twelve males and one female.--Of them
eight were legitimate,--viz. six of Lea, and two of Rachel; and four
were of the handmaids, two of each; all whose names have been set down
already.