Genesis 38

1 Now at that time, Judah went away from his brothers and became the friend of a man of Adullam named Hirah.

And at that time Iudah went downe from his brethren, and turned in to a man called Hirah an Adullamite.

2 And there he saw the daughter of a certain man of Canaan named Shua, and took her as his wife.

And Iudah sawe there the daughter of a man called Suah a Canaanite: and he tooke her to wife, and went in vnto her.

3 And she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Er.

So she conceiued and bare a sonne, and he called his name Er.

4 And again she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Onan.

And she conceiued againe, and bare a sonne, and she called his name Onan.

5 Then she had another son, to whom she gave the name Shelah; she was at Chezib when the birth took place.

Moreouer she bare yet a sonne, whome she called Shelah: and Iudah was at Chezib when she bare him.

6 And Judah took a wife for his first son Er, and her name was Tamar.

Then Iudah tooke a wife to Er his first borne sonne whose name was Tamar.

7 Now Er, Judah's first son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death.

Now Er the first borne of Iudah was wicked in the sight of the Lord: therefore the Lord slewe him.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and do what it is right for a husband's brother to do; make her your wife and get offspring for your brother.

Then Iudah said to Onan, Goe in vnto thy brothers wife, and do the office of a kinsman vnto her, and raise vp seede vnto thy brother.

9 But Onan, seeing that the offspring would not be his, went in to his brother's wife, but let his seed go on to the earth, so that he might not get offspring for his brother.

And Onan knewe that the seede should not be his: therefore when he went in vnto his brothers wife, he spilled it on the grounde, least he should giue seede vnto his brother.

10 And what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death, like his brother.

And it was wicked in the eyes of the Lord, which he did: wherefore he slewe him also.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Go back to your father's house and keep yourself as a widow till my son Shelah becomes a man: for he had in his mind the thought that death might come to him as it had come to his brothers. So Tamar went back to her father's house.

Then said Iudah to Tamar his daughter in lawe, Remaine a widowe in thy fathers house, till Shelah my sonne growe vp (for he thought thus, Least he die as well as his brethren.) So Tamar went and dwelt in her fathers house.

12 And after a time, Bath-shua, Judah's wife, came to her end; and after Judah was comforted for her loss, he went to Timnah, where they were cutting the wool of his sheep, and his friend Hirah of Adullam went with him.

And in processe of time also the daughter of Shuah Iudahs wife dyed. Then Iudah, when he had left mourning, went vp to his sheepe sherers to Timnah, he, and his neighbour Hirah the Adullamite.

13 And when Tamar had news that her father-in-law was going up to Timnah to the wool-cutting,

And it was tolde Tamar, saying, beholde, thy father in lawe goeth vp to Timnah, to shere his sheepe.

14 She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.

Then she put her widowes garments off from her, and couered her with a vaile, and wrapped her selfe, and sate downe in Pethah-enaim, which is by the way to Timnah, because she sawe that Shelah was growen, and she was not giuen vnto him to wife.

15 When Judah saw her he took her to be a loose woman of the town, because her face was covered.

When Iudah sawe her, he iudged her an whore: for she had couered her face.

16 And turning to her by the roadside, he said to her, Let me come in to you; for he had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me as my price?

And he turned to the way towardes her, and saide, Come, I pray thee, let me lie with thee. (for he knewe not that she was his daughter in lawe) And she answered, What wilt thou giue me for to lie with me?

17 And he said, I will give you a young goat from the flock. And she said, What will you give me as a sign till you send it?

Then said he, I will sende thee a kid of the goates from the flocke. and she said, Well, if thou wilt giue me a pledge, till thou sende it.

18 And he said, What would you have? And she said, Your ring and its cord and the stick in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became with child by him.

Then he saide, What is the pledge that I shall giue thee? And she answered, Thy signet, and thy cloke, and thy staffe that is in thine hande. So he gaue it her, and lay by her, and she was with childe by him.

19 Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.

Then she rose, and went and put her vaile from her and put on her widowes raiment.

20 Then Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat, to get back the things which he had given as a sign to the woman: but she was not there.

Afterwarde Iudah sent a kid of the goates by the hande of his neighbour the Adullamite, for to receiue his pledge from the womans hand: but he found her not.

21 And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.

Then asked he the men of that place, saying, Where is ye whore, that sate in Enaim by the way side? And they answered, There was no whore here.

22 So he went back to Judah, and said, I have not seen her, and the men of the place say that there is no such woman there.

He came therefore to Iudah againe, and said, I can not finde her, and also the men of the place said, There was no whore there.

23 And Judah said, Let her keep the things, so that we may not be shamed; I sent the young goat, but you did not see the woman.

Then Iudah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: beholde, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

24 Now about three months after this, word came to Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had been acting like a loose woman and was with child. And Judah said, Take her out and let her be burned.

Now after three moneths, one tolde Iudah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the whore, and lo, with playing the whore, she is great with childe. Then Iudah saide, Bring ye her foorth and let her be burnt.

25 And while she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, The man whose property these things are, is the father of my child: say then, whose are this ring and this cord and this stick?

When she was brought foorth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, vnto whom these things pertaine, am I with childe: and saide also, Looke, I pray thee, whose these are, the seale, and the cloke, and the staffe.

26 Then Judah said openly that they were his, and said, She is more upright than I am, for I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he had no more connection with her.

Then Iudah knewe them, and said, She is more righteous then I: for she hath done it because I gaue her not to Shelah my sonne. So he lay with her no more.

27 And when the time came for her to give birth, it was clear that there were two children in her body.

Now, when the time was come that she should be deliuered, beholde, there were twinnes in her wombe.

28 And while she was in the act of giving birth, one of them put out his hand; and the woman who was with her put a red thread round his hand, saying, This one came out first.

And when she was in trauell, the one put out his hand: and the midwife tooke and bound a red threde about his hand, saying, This is come out first.

29 But then he took his hand back again, and his brother came first to birth: and the woman said, What an opening you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez.

But when he plucked his hand backe againe, loe, his brother came out, and the midwife said, How hast thou broken the breach vpon thee? and his name was called Pharez.

30 And then his brother came out, with the red thread round his hand, and he was named Zerah.

And afterward came out his brother that had the red threde about his hande, and his name was called Zarah.