KJV ORIGINAL
Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Ask me for as much bride-price and wedding gifts as you want, and I will pay whatever you demand of me. Just let me marry the young woman.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The speaker is desperately offering to pay any amount of money or gifts to marry a particular woman.
📚 Historical Context
This is Shechem speaking to Dinah's father Jacob and her brothers after he had violated Dinah. In ancient Near Eastern culture, marriages typically involved negotiating a bride-price (money or goods paid by the groom's family to the bride's family) and wedding gifts. Shechem's willingness to pay any amount shows both his desperation and his attempt to legitimize what he had done through proper marriage customs.
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