Genesis 38

1 And it came to pass at that time that Judas went down from his brethren, and came as far as to a certain man of Odollam, whose name was Iras.

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

2 And Judas saw there the daughter of a Chananitish man, whose name was Sava; and he took her, and went in to her.

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

3 And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name, Er.

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

4 And she conceived and bore a son again; and called his name, Aunan.

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

5 And she again bore a son; and called his name, Selom: and she was in Chasbi when she bore them.

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

6 And Judas took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Thamar.

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

7 And Er, the first-born of Judas, was wicked before the Lord; and God killed him.

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

8 And Judas said to Aunan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and marry her as her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy brother.

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.

9 And Aunan, knowing that the seed should not be his—it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] upon the ground, so that he should not give seed to his brother's wife.

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.

10 And his doing this appeared evil before God; and he slew him also.

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

11 And Judas said to Thamar, his daughter-in-law, Sit thou a widow in the house of thy father-in-law, until Selom my son be grown; for he said, lest he also die as his brethren; and Thamar departed, and sat in the house of her father.

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.

12 And the days were fulfilled, and Sava the wife of Judas died; and Judas, being comforted, went to them that sheared his sheep, himself and Iras his Shepherd the Odollamite, to Thamna.

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.

13 And it was told Thamar his daughter-in-law, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Thamna, to shear his sheep.

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

14 And having taken off the garments of her widowhood from her, she put on a veil, and ornamented her face, and sat by the gates of Aenan, which is in the way to Thamna, for she saw that Selom was grown; but he gave her not to him for a wife.

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.

15 And when Judas saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she covered her face, and he knew her not.

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

16 And he went out of his way to her, and said to her, Let me come in to thee; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law; and she said, What wilt thou give me if thou shouldest come in to me?

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?

17 And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from my flock; and she said, [Well], if thou wilt give me an earnest, until thou send it.

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?

18 And he said, What is the earnest that I shall give thee? and she said, Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and the staff in thy hand; and he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

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.

19 And she arose and departed, and took her veil from off her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

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

20 And Judas sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his shepherd the Odollamite, to receive the pledge from the woman; and he found her not.

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.

21 And he asked the men of the place, Where is the harlot who was in Aenan by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot here.

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.

22 And he returned to Judas, and said, I have not found her; and the men of the place say, There is no harlot here.

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.

23 And Judas said, Let her have them, but let us not be ridiculed; I sent this kid, but thou hast not found her.

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.

24 And it came to pass after three months, that it was told Judas, saying, Thamar thy daughter-in-law has grievously played the harlot, and behold she is with child by whoredom; and Judas said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt.

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.

25 And as they were bringing her, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man whose these things are; and she said, See whose is this ring and bracelet and staff.

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?

26 And Judas knew [them], and said, Thamar is cleared rather than I, forasmuch as I gave her not to Selom my son: and he knew her not again.

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.

27 And it came to pass when she was in labour, that she also had twins in her womb.

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

28 And it came to pass as she was bringing forth, one thrust forth his hand, and the midwife having taken hold of it, bound upon his hand a scarlet [thread], saying, This one shall come out first.

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.

29 And when he drew back his hand, then immediately came forth his brother; and she said, Why has the barrier been cut through because of thee? and she called his name, Phares.

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.

30 And after this came forth his brother, on whose hand was the scarlet thread; and she called his name, Zara.

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