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 it fortuned at that tyme that Iudas went from his brethren and gatt him to a man called Hira of Odollam

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

and there he sawe the doughter of a man called Sua a Canaanyte. And he toke her ad went in vnto her.

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

And she conceaued and bare a sonne and called his name Er.

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

And she conceaued agayne and bare a sonne and called him Onan.

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

And she conceaued the thyrde tyme and bare a sonne whom she called Scla: and he was at Chesyb when she bare hem.

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

And Iudas gaue Er his eldest sonne a wife whose name was Thamar.

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

But this Er Iudas eldest sonne was wicked in the syghte of the LORde wherfore the LORde 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.

Than sayde Iudas vnto Onan: goo in to thi brothers wyfe and Marie her and styrre vp seed 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 when Onan perceaued that the seed shulde not be his: therfore when he went in to his brothers wife he spylled it on the grounde because he wold not geue seed 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 the thinge which he dyd displeased the LORde wherfore he slew 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.

Than sayde Iudas to Thamar his doughter in lawe: remayne a wydow at thi fathers house tyll Sela my sonne be growne: for he feared lest he shulde haue dyed also as his brethren did. Thus went Thamar and dwelt in hir 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 tyme the doughter of Sua Iudas wife dyed. Than Iudas when he had left mornynge went vnto his shepe sherers to Thimnath with his frende Hira of Odollam.

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

And one told Thamar saynge: beholde thy father in lawe goth vp to Thimnath to shere his shepe.

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.

And she put hyr wydows garmetes of from her and couered her with a clooke and disgyssed herself: And sat her downe at the entrynge of Enaim which is by the hye wayes syde to Thimnath for because she sawe that Sela was growne and she was not geue 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 Iuda sawe her he thought it had bene an hoore because she had couered hyr 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 turned to her vnto the waye and sayde come I praye the let me lye with the for he knewe not that it was his doughter in lawe. And she sayde what wylt thou gyue me for to lye 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?

Tha sayde he I will sende the a kydd fro the flocke. She answered Than geue 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.

Than sayde he what pledge shall I geue the? And she sayde: they sygnett thy necke lace and thy staffe that is in thy hande. And he gaue it her and lay by her and she was with child by him.

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

And she gatt her vp and went and put her mantell from her ad put on hir widowes rayment agayne.

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.

And Iudas sent the kydd by his neybure of Odollam for to fetch out his pledge agayne from the wifes hande. But he fownde 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.

Than asked he the men of the same place saynge: where is the whoore that satt at Enaim in the waye? And they sayde: there was no whoore 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.

And he came to Iuda agayne saynge: I can not fynde her and also the men of the place sayde: that there was no whoore 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.

And Iuda sayde: let her take it to her lest we be shamed: for I sente the kydd and thou coudest not fynde 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.

And it came to passe that after. iij. monethes one tolde Iuda saynge: Thamar thy doughter in lawe hath played the whoore and with playnge the whoore is become great with childe. And Iuda sayde: brynge her forth ad let her be brente.

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?

And when they brought her forth she sent to her father in lawe saynge: by the ma vnto whome these thinges pertayne am I with childe. And sayd also: loke whose are this seall necklace and 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.

And Iuda knewe them saynge: she is more rightwes tha I because I gaue her not to Sela my sone. But he laye with her nomore.

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

When tyme was come that she shulde be delyuered beholde there was. ij. twynnes in hyr wobe.

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 as she traveled the one put out his hande and the mydwife toke and bownde a reed threde aboute it saynge: this wyll come out fyrst.

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 he plucked his hande backe agayne and his brother came out. And she sayde: wherfore hast thou rent a rent vppon the? and called him 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 reade threde about his hade which was called Zarah.