Part 22 (1/2)

33:12. And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey.

33:13. And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die.

33:14. May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in Seir.

33:15. Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people, at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight.

33:16. So Esau returned that day, the way that he came, to Seir.

33:17. And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents.

33:18. And he pa.s.sed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town.

33:19. And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem, for a hundred lambs.

33:20. And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty G.o.d of Israel.

Genesis Chapter 34

Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are destroyed.

34:1. And Dina the daughter of Lia went out to see the women of that country.

34:2. And when Sichem the son of Hemor the Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was in love with her: and took her away, and lay with her, ravis.h.i.+ng the virgin.

34:3. And his soul was fast knit unto her; and whereas she was sad, he comforted her with sweet words.

34:4. And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife.

34:5. But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back.

34:6. And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob,

34:7. Behold his sons came from the field: and hearing what had pa.s.sed, they were exceeding angry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, and committed an unlawful act, in ravis.h.i.+ng Jacob's daughter.

34:8. And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my son Sichem has a longing for your daughter: give her him to wife:

34:9. And let us contract marriages one with another: give us your daughters, and take you our daughters.

34:10. And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it.

34:11. Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight, and whatsoever you shall appoint I will give:

34:12. Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will gladly give what you shall demand: only give me this damsel to wife.

34:13. The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and his father deceitfully, being enraged at the deflowering of their sister:

Deceitfully... The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of revenge: though otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was commendable.

34:14. We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncirc.u.mcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable.