Book of Jasher, Chapter 34 — Chiddekem and His Brothers Refuse; Simeon and Levi Destroy Shechem; the Amorite Kings Assemble; Isaac and Jacob Pray
1And the number of all the males that were circumcised was six hundred and forty-five men, and two hundred and forty-six children.
2But Chiddekem, son of Pered, the father of Hamor, and his six brothers, would not listen to Shechem and his father Hamor, and they would not be circumcised, for the proposal of the sons of Jacob was loathsome in their sight, and their anger was greatly roused at this, that the people of the city had not listened to them.
3And in the evening of the second day, they found eight small children who had not been circumcised, for their mothers had concealed them from Shechem and his father Hamor, and from the men of the city.
4And Shechem and his father Hamor sent to have them brought before them to be circumcised, when Chiddekem and his six brothers sprang at them with their swords and sought to slay them.
5And they sought to slay also Shechem and his father Hamor, and they sought to slay Dinah with them on account of this matter.
6And they said to them, What is this thing that you have done? are there no women among the daughters of your brothers the Canaanites, that you wish to take to yourselves daughters of the Hebrews, whom you knew not before, and will do this act which your fathers never commanded you?
7Do you imagine that you will succeed through this act which you have done? and what will you answer in this affair to your brothers the Canaanites, who will come tomorrow and ask you concerning this thing?
8And if your act shall not appear just and good in their sight, what will you do for your lives, and we for our lives, in your not having listened to our voices?
9And if the inhabitants of the land and all your brothers the children of Ham shall hear of your act, saying,
10On account of a Hebrew woman did Shechem and Hamor his father, and all the inhabitants of their city, do that with which they had been unacquainted, and which their ancestors never commanded them — where then will you flee, or where conceal your shame, all your days before your brothers, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan?
11Now therefore we cannot bear up against this thing which you have done, neither can we be burdened with this yoke upon us, which our ancestors did not command us.
12Behold, tomorrow we will go and assemble all our brothers, the Canaanitish brothers who dwell in the land, and we will all come and smite you and all those who trust in you, that there shall not be a remnant left from you or them.
13And when Hamor and his son Shechem and all the people of the city heard the words of Chiddekem and his brothers, they were terribly afraid for their lives at their words, and they repented of what they had done.
14And Shechem and his father Hamor answered their father Chiddekem and his brothers, and they said to them, All the words which you spoke to us are true.
15Now do not say, nor imagine in your hearts, that on account of the love of the Hebrews we did this thing that our ancestors did not command us.
16But because we saw that it was not their intention and desire to accede to our wishes concerning their daughter as to our taking her, except on this condition, so we listened to their voices and did this act which you saw, in order to obtain our desire from them.
17And when we shall have obtained our request from them, we will then return to them and do to them that which you say to us.
18We beseech you then to wait and tarry until our flesh shall be healed and we again become strong, and we will then go together against them, and do to them that which is in your hearts and in ours.
19And Dinah the daughter of Jacob heard all these words which Chiddekem and his brothers had spoken, and what Hamor and his son Shechem and the people of their city had answered them.
20And she hastened and sent one of her maidens, whom her father had sent to take care of her in the house of Shechem, to Jacob her father and to her brothers, saying:
21Thus did Chiddekem and his brothers advise concerning you, and thus did Hamor and Shechem and the people of the city answer them.
22And when Jacob heard these words he was filled with wrath, and he was indignant at them, and his anger was kindled against them.
23And Simeon and Levi swore and said, As the Lord lives, the God of the whole earth, by this time tomorrow there shall not be a remnant left in the whole city.
24And twenty young men had concealed themselves who were not circumcised, and these young men fought against Simeon and Levi, and Simeon and Levi killed eighteen of them, and two fled from them and escaped to some lime pits that were in the city, and Simeon and Levi sought for them but could not find them.
25And Simeon and Levi continued to go about in the city, and they killed all the people of the city at the edge of the sword, and they left none remaining.
26And there was a great consternation in the midst of the city, and the cry of the people of the city ascended to heaven, and all the women and children cried aloud.
27And Simeon and Levi slew all the city; they left not a male remaining in the whole city.
28And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son at the edge of the sword, and they brought away Dinah from the house of Shechem, and they went from there.
29And the sons of Jacob went and returned, and came upon the slain, and spoiled all their property which was in the city and the field.
30And while they were taking the spoil, three hundred men stood up and threw dust at them and struck them with stones, when Simeon turned to them and slew them all with the edge of the sword; and Simeon turned before Levi, and came into the city.
31And they took away their sheep and their oxen and their cattle, and also the remainder of the women and little ones, and they led all these away, and they opened a gate and went out, and came to their father Jacob with vigor.
32And when Jacob saw all that they had done to the city, and saw the spoil that they took from them, Jacob was very angry at them, and Jacob said to them, What is this that you have done to me? behold, I obtained rest among the Canaanitish inhabitants of the land, and none of them meddled with me.
33And now you have done this to make me obnoxious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites, and I am but of a small number, and they will all assemble against me and slay me when they hear of your work with their brothers, and I and my household will be destroyed.
34And Simeon and Levi and all their brothers with them answered their father Jacob and said to him, Behold, we live in the land, and shall Shechem do this to our sister? why are you silent at all that Shechem has done? and shall he deal with our sister as with a harlot in the streets?
35And the number of women whom Simeon and Levi took captive from the city of Shechem, whom they did not slay, was eighty-five who had not known man.
36And among them was a young woman of beautiful appearance and well favored, whose name was Bunah, and Simeon took her for a wife; and the number of the males which they took captive and did not slay was forty-seven men, and the rest they slew.
37And all the young men and women that Simeon and Levi had taken captive from the city of Shechem were servants to the sons of Jacob and to their children after them, until the day of the sons of Jacob going forth from the land of Egypt.
38And when Simeon and Levi had gone forth from the city, the two young men that were left, who had concealed themselves in the city and did not die among the people of the city, rose up, and these young men went into the city and walked about in it, and found the city desolate, without man, and only women weeping; and these young men cried out and said, Behold, this is the evil which the sons of Jacob the Hebrew did to this city, in their having this day destroyed one of the Canaanitish cities, and were not afraid for their lives of all the land of Canaan.
39And these men left the city and went to the city of Tapnach, and they came there and told the inhabitants of Tapnach all that had befallen them, and all that the sons of Jacob had done to the city of Shechem.
40And the information reached Jashub king of Tapnach, and he sent men to the city of Shechem to see those young men, for the king did not believe them in this account, saying, How could two men lay waste such a large town as Shechem?
41And the messengers of Jashub came back and told him, saying, We came to the city, and it is destroyed; there is not a man there, only weeping women; neither is any flock or cattle there, for all that was in the city the sons of Jacob took away.
42And Jashub wondered at this, saying, How could two men do this thing, to destroy so large a city, and not one man able to stand against them?
43For the like has not been from the days of Nimrod, and not even from the remotest time has the like taken place; and Jashub, king of Tapnach, said to his people, Be courageous, and we will go and fight against these Hebrews, and do to them as they did to the city, and we will avenge the cause of the people of the city.
44And Jashub, king of Tapnach, consulted with his counselors about this matter, and his advisers said to him, Alone you will not prevail over the Hebrews, for they must be powerful to do this work to the whole city.
45If two of them laid waste the whole city, and no one stood against them, surely if you go against them they will all rise against us and destroy us likewise.
46But if you will send to all the kings that surround us, and let them come together, then we will go with them and fight against the sons of Jacob; then will you prevail against them.
47And Jashub heard the words of his counselors, and their words pleased him and his people, and he did so; and Jashub king of Tapnach sent to all the kings of the Amorites that surrounded Shechem and Tapnach, saying,
48Go up with me and assist me, and we will smite Jacob the Hebrew and all his sons, and destroy them from the earth, for thus did he do to the city of Shechem — and do you not know of it?
49And all the kings of the Amorites heard the evil that the sons of Jacob had done to the city of Shechem, and they were greatly astonished at them.
50And the seven kings of the Amorites assembled with all their armies, about ten thousand men with drawn swords, and they came to fight against the sons of Jacob; and Jacob heard that the kings of the Amorites had assembled to fight against his sons, and Jacob was greatly afraid, and it distressed him.
51And Jacob exclaimed against Simeon and Levi, saying, What is this act that you did? why have you injured me, to bring against me all the children of Canaan to destroy me and my household? for I was at rest, even I and my household, and you have done this thing to me, and provoked the inhabitants of the land against me by your proceedings.
52And Judah answered his father, saying, Was it for nothing my brothers Simeon and Levi killed all the inhabitants of Shechem? Surely it was because Shechem had humbled our sister, and transgressed the command of our God to Noah and his children, for Shechem took our sister away by force, and committed adultery with her.
53And Shechem did all this evil, and not one of the inhabitants of his city interfered with him, to say, Why will you do this? surely for this my brothers went and struck the city, and the Lord delivered it into their hands, because its inhabitants had transgressed the commands of our God. Is it then for nothing that they have done all this?
54And now why are you afraid or distressed, and why are you displeased at my brothers, and why is your anger kindled against them?
55Surely our God who delivered into their hand the city of Shechem and its people, he will also deliver into our hands all the Canaanitish kings who are coming against us, and we will do to them as my brothers did to Shechem.
56Now be tranquil about them and cast away your fears, but trust in the Lord our God, and pray to him to assist us and deliver us, and deliver our enemies into our hands.
57And Judah called to one of his father's servants, Go now and see where those kings who are coming against us are situated with their armies.
58And the servant went and looked far off, and went up opposite Mount Sihon, and saw all the camps of the kings standing in the fields, and he returned to Judah and said, Behold, the kings are situated in the field with all their camps, a people exceedingly numerous, like the sand upon the seashore.
59And Judah said to Simeon and Levi, and to all his brothers, Strengthen yourselves and be sons of valor, for the Lord our God is with us; do not fear them.
60Stand forth each man, girded with his weapons of war, his bow and his sword, and we will go and fight against these uncircumcised men; the Lord is our God, he will save us.
61And they rose up, and each girded on his weapons of war, great and small, eleven sons of Jacob, and all the servants of Jacob with them.
62And all the servants of Isaac who were with Isaac in Hebron all came to them, equipped in all sorts of war instruments, and the sons of Jacob and their servants, being one hundred and twelve men, went toward these kings, and Jacob also went with them.
63And the sons of Jacob sent to their father Isaac, the son of Abraham, to Hebron — the same is Kireath-arba — saying,
64Pray, we beseech you, for us to the Lord our God, to protect us from the hands of the Canaanites who are coming against us, and to deliver them into our hands.
65And Isaac the son of Abraham prayed to the Lord for his sons, and he said, O Lord God, you promised my father, saying, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and you also promised me — establish your word, now that the kings of Canaan are coming together to make war with my children because they committed no violence.
66Now therefore, O Lord God, God of the whole earth, pervert, I pray you, the counsel of these kings, that they may not fight against my sons.
67And impress the hearts of these kings and their people with the terror of my sons, and bring down their pride, that they may turn away from my sons.
68And with your strong hand and outstretched arm deliver my sons and their servants from them, for power and might are in your hands to do all this.
69And the sons of Jacob and their servants went toward these kings, and they trusted in the Lord their God; and while they were going, Jacob their father also prayed to the Lord and said, O Lord God, powerful and exalted God, who has reigned from days of old, from then till now and forever;
70You are he who stirs up wars and causes them to cease; in your hand are power and might to exalt and to bring down; O may my prayer be acceptable before you, that you may turn to me with your mercies, to impress the hearts of these kings and their people with the terror of my sons, and terrify them and their camps, and with your great kindness deliver all those that trust in you, for it is you who can bring people under us and reduce nations under our power.