13. Jacob’s sons replied to Shechem and his father Hamor with guile, speaking as they did because he had defiled their sister Dinah.
14. They said to them, “We are not able to do this thing: to give our sister to an uncircumcised man. For that would be a disgrace for us.
15. Only on this condition will we agree to that: that you become like us by having every male among you circumcised.
16. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters in marriage; we will settle among you and become one people.
17. But if you do not listen to us and be circumcised, we will take our daughter and go.”
18. Their proposal pleased Hamor and his son Shechem.
19. The young man lost no time in acting on the proposal, since he wanted Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more highly regarded than anyone else in his father’s house.
20. So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and said to the men of their city:
21. “These men are friendly toward us. Let them settle in the land and move about in it freely; there is ample room in the land for them. We can take their daughters in marriage and give our daughters to them.
22. But only on this condition will the men agree to live with us and form one people with us: that every male among us be circumcised as they themselves are.
23. Would not their livestock, their property, and all their animals then be ours? Let us just agree with them, so that they will settle among us.”