38:1 At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.
38:2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and lay with her;
38:3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.
38:4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.
38:5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
38:6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’S sight; so the LORD put him to death.
38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother.”
38:9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he lay with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring for his brother.
38:10 What he did was wicked in the LORD’S sight; so he put him to death also.
38:11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.
38:12 After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
38:13 When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
38:14 she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
38:16 Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.
38:17 “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.
38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
38:19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again.
38:20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.
38:21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.
38:22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”
38:23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”
38:24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”
38:25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”
38:26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.
38:27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
38:28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”
38:29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.
38:30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out and he was given the name Zerah.
38:1 Now at that time Judah went down from his brothers and pitched his tent near a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
38:2 And Judah saw there the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. And he took her and went in to her.
38:3 And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.
38:4 And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.
38:5 And yet again she bore a son and called his name Shelah, and she was in Chezib when she bore him.
38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
38:7 And Er, Judah s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah. And Jehovah put him to death.
38:8 And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up seed to your brother.
38:9 But since Onan knew that the seed would not be his, whenever he went in to his brother s wife, he spilled it on the ground, so that he would not give seed to his brother.
38:10 But what he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah, so He put him to death also.
38:11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father s house until Shelah my son grows up. For he thought, He also may die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and dwelt in her father s house.
38:12 And in process of time Shua s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
38:13 And it was told to Tamar, saying, Your father-in-law is now going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.
38:14 And she removed from herself her widow s garments and covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as his wife.
38:15 And when Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.
38:16 And he turned aside to her by the way and said, Come now, let me come in to you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me, that you may come in to me?
38:17 And he said, I will send you a kid from the flock. And she said, Only if you give me a pledge until you send it.
38:18 And he said, What pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your seal and your cord and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
38:19 And she arose and went away, and removed her veil from herself and put on her widow s garments.
38:20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman s hand; but he did not find her.
38:21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute who was by the road at Enaim? And they said, There has been no prostitute here.
38:22 And he returned to Judah and said, I did not find her; and also the men of the place said, There has been no prostitute here.
38:23 And Judah said, Let her keep the things for herself, lest we become a laughing stock; you see, I sent her this kid, but you did not find her.
38:24 And about three months later it was told Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; moreover, now she is pregnant by harlotry. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burned.
38:25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong. And she said, Please note whose these are, the seal and the cords and the staff.
38:26 And Judah took note of them and said, She is more righteous than I, because I did not give her to my son Shelah. And he did not know her again anymore.
38:27 And at the time of her delivery, there were twins in her womb.
38:28 And while she was giving birth, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, This one came out first.
38:29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother suddenly came out; and she said, What a breach you have made for yourself! Therefore his name was called Perez.
38:30 And afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and his name was called Zerah.