9. This marriage will show we have a special agreement. Then our men can marry your women, and your men can marry our women.
10. You can live in the same land with us. You will be free to own the land and to trade here.”
11. Shechem also talked to Jacob and to Dinah’s brothers and said, “Please accept me. I will do anything you ask me to do.
12. I will give you any gift you want if you will only allow me to marry Dinah. I will give you anything you ask, but let me marry her.”
13. Jacob’s sons decided to lie to Shechem and his father because Shechem had done such a bad thing to their sister Dinah.
14. The brothers said to them, “We cannot allow our sister to marry you because you are not yet circumcised. That would bring us shame.
15. But we will allow you to marry her if you do this one thing: Every man in your town must be circumcised like us.
16. Then your men can marry our women, and our men can marry your women. Then we will become one people.
17. If you refuse to be circumcised, we will take Dinah away.”
18. This agreement made Hamor and Shechem very happy.
19. Shechem was very happy to do what Dinah’s brothers asked. Shechem was the most honored man in his family.
20. Hamor and Shechem went to the meeting place of their city. They spoke to the men of the city and said,