Genesis 38
1 To naah Judah loe angmah ih nawkamyanawk to caehtaak moe, Adullam acaeng Hirah khaeah caeh tathuk.
At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].
2 Judah mah to ah Kanaan acaeng Shuah canu to hnuk, anih to zu ah lak moe, a iih haih.
There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,
3 Nongpata loe zokpomh moe, capa maeto sak; anih to Er, tiah ahmin phui.
and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
4 Nongpata loe zokpomh let moe, capa maeto sak, anih to Onan, tiah ahmin sak.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
5 Anih loe zokpomh let bae moe, capa maeto sak, anih to Shelah, tiah ahmin sak; to capa loe Kezib vangpui ah oh naah tapen.
Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.
6 Judah mah a calu, Er hanah zu lak pae; anih ih ahmin loe Tamar.
When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
7 Toe Judah ih calu Er loe, Angraeng mikhnuk ah kahoih ai kami ah oh; to pongah anih to Angraeng mah dueksak ving.
But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
8 To naah Judah mah Onan khaeah, nam ya ih zu khaeah caeh ah, anih to zu haih ah loe nam ya han caa sah paeh, tiah a naa.
Then Judah said to Onan, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”
9 Anih hoi sak ih caa loe angmah ih caa ah om mak ai, tito Onan mah panoek naah, am ya han caa sak pae han koeh ai pongah, amya ih zu khaeah iih naah, angmah ih atii to tasa bangah pathok ving.
But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
10 To tiah sak ih hmuen to Angraeng mah koeh ai; to pongah anih doeh dueksak.
Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
11 To pongah Judah mah angmah ih langah Tamar khaeah, Ka capa Shelah thendoeng ai karoek to nam pa im ah hmai ah, tiah a naa. Anih doeh amya hnik baktiah dueh moeng tih, tiah a poek. To pongah Tamar loe amlaem moe, ampa im ah a hmaih.
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.
12 Nasetto maw oh pacoengah Shuah canu, Judah ih zu to duek; Judah palungsae dip pacoengah loe angmah ih tuu mui aat kaminawk khaeah, Adullam acaeng angmah ih ampui Hirah hoi nawnto Timnah vangpui ah caeh.
Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
13 To naah nam qang loe tuu mui aah hanah Timnah vangpui ah caeh, tiah Tamar khaeah thuih pae o.
Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep.”
14 To naah lamhmai khukbuen to angkhring moe, a mikhmai to khuk khoep, a lu to zaeng pacoengah Timnah vangpui caehhaih loklam ah kaom, Enaim akunhaih khongkha taengah anghnut; Shelah loe thendoeng boeh, toe anih to zusak han koeh ai, tito a langah mah panoek.
[She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.
15 Judah mah anih to hnuk naah, mikhmai to khuk khoep pongah, tangzat zaw nongpata mue, tiah a poek.
When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].
16 (To nongpata loe angmah ih langah ni, tito panoek ai) pongah, anih khaeah loklam taengah caeh moe, Nang khaeah na iipsak ah, tiah a naa. Nongpata mah kai nang iih haih nahaeloe, timaw nang paek han? tiah a naa.
Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”
17 Anih mah, Maeh caa to kang pat han, tiah a naa. Nongpata mah to tiah nahaeloe to hmuen nang pat ai nathung ah hmuen maeto ka ban ah nang koeng thai tih maw? tiah a naa let.
He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”
18 Nongpa mah tih hmuen maw kang koeng han loe? tiah a naa. Nongpata mah, Nangmah ih bantuek, banlakok hoi cunghet, tiah a naa. Anih mah to hmuennawk to nongpata hanah paek pacoengah, anih to a iih haih, to pongah nongpata loe zokpomh.
He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.
19 To pacoengah nongpata loe angthawk moe, a caeh, anih mah mikhmai khukhaih kahni to angkhring moe, lamhmai khukbuen to angkhuk let.
After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
20 Judah mah nongpata khaeah suek ih hmuennawk to lak let hanah koeh pongah, angmah ih ampui Adullam acaeng khaeah maeh caa to a pat pae; toe anih mah nongpata to hnu ai boeh.
Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
21 To naah to ahmuen ah kaom kaminawk khaeah, Enaim lam taengah kaom tangzat zaw nongpata loe naa ah maw oh? tiah a dueng. Nihcae mah, Haeah tangzat zaw nongpata om ai bae, tiah a naa o.
So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”
22 Anih loe Judah khaeah amlaem let moe, To nongpata to ka hnu ai boeh; to ah kaom kaminawk mah doeh haeah tangzat zaw kami om ai, tiah ang naa o, tiah a thuih pae.
So he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
23 To naah Judah mah, Khenah, hae maeh caa hae ka pat pae, toe nongpata to na hnu ai boeh pongah, nongpata mah to ih hmuennawk to angmah han la nasoe, to tih ai nahaeloe azat apaw hoi moeng tih boeh, tiah a naa.
Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her.”
24 Khrah thumto oh pacoengah, Na langah Tamar loe tangzat zawh moe, vaihi zokpom boeh, tiah Judah khaeah thuih pae o. Judah mah, Nongpata to angzo o haih loe hmai hoiah qoeng oh, tiah a naa.
About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”
25 Anih to angzoh o haih naah, Tamar mah amqang khaeah angmah ih bantuek, banlakok hoi cunghetnawk to thaksak, hae hmuen tawnkung mah kai zok angpomsak, tiah a naa. To pacoengah, khenah, bantuek, banlakok hoi cunghet loe mi ih maw, na panoek maw? tiah a naa.
But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”
26 Judah mah to hmuennawk to panoek naah, Ka capa Shelah ka zusak ai pongah, anih loe kai pongah toeng kue, tiah thuih. To pacoengah loe anih to iip haih let ai boeh.
When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.
27 Khenah, nawkta ohhaih tue phak naah loe, anih ih zok thungah caa hnetto angphae.
When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
28 Caa tapen naah nawkta maeto loe a ban tasa bangah payangh, Caa omsakkung mah hae kami hae tapen hmaloe, tiah thuih moe, nawkta ih ban to tlangqui kathim hoiah zaeng pae.
As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 Toe ban to azuh let moe, anih ih amnawk to tapen lat; to naah nawkta omsakkung mah, Kawbang maw tha hoi na muk puk thaih takan loe? Tha hoi na muk pukhaih loe na nuiah om nasoe, tiah a naa. To pongah anih ih ahmin to Perez, tiah a sak.
But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’
30 To pacoengah ban ah tlangqui kathim zaeng ih amya to tapen; anih to Zerah, tiah ahmin phui.
Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’
