Jacob and Leah's second son — his name (Shim'on, from shama, 'to hear') is Leah's cry that 'Jehovah heard that I was hated' (29:33). With his brother Levi he takes the sword at Shechem, avenging their sister Dinah by slaughtering the town (34:25-31). The violence marks him for life: on his deathbed Jacob does not bless the two brothers but curses their anger — 'weapons of violence are their swords… I will scatter them in Israel' (49:5-7). The tribe of Simeon is given no separate territory but is swallowed into Judah's (Joshua 19:1), the curse working itself out. It is Simeon whom Joseph will later bind and hold hostage in Egypt (42:24).