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.

And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Judah goeth down from his brethren, and turneth aside unto a man, an Adullamite, whose name [is] 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 Judah seeth there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name [is] Shuah, and taketh her, and goeth in unto her.

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

And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er;

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

and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan;

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

and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.

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

And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name [is] Tamar;

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

and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth 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.

And Judah saith to Onan, 'Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy 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.

and Onan knoweth that the seed is not [reckoned] his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother's wife, that he hath destroyed [it] to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother;

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

and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death.

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.

And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, 'Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, 'Lest he die — even he — like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at 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 the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.

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 it is declared to Tamar, saying, 'Lo, thy husband's father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;'

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.

and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which [is] by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife.

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

And Judah seeth her, and reckoneth her for a harlot, for she hath covered her face,

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 he turneth aside unto her by the way, and saith, 'Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee,' (for he hath not known that she [is] his daughter-in-law); and she saith, 'What dost thou give to me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'

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 saith, 'I — I send a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she saith, 'Dost thou give a pledge till thou 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 saith, 'What [is] the pledge that I give to thee?' and she saith, 'Thy seal, and thy ribbon, and thy staff which [is] in thy hand;' and he giveth to her, and goeth in unto her, and she conceiveth to him;

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

and she riseth, and goeth, and turneth aside her vail from off her, and putteth on the garments of her widowhood.

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.

And Judah sendeth the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he hath not found her.

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 asketh the men of her place, saying, 'Where [is] the separated one — she in Enayim, by the way?' and they say, 'There hath not been in this [place] a separated one.'

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.

And he turneth back unto Judah, and saith, 'I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There hath not been in this [place] a separated one,'

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 saith, 'Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.'

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.

And it cometh to pass about three months [after], that it is declared to Judah, saying, 'Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath committed fornication; and also, lo, she hath conceived by fornication:' and Judah saith, 'Bring her out — and she is burnt.'

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.

She is brought out, and she hath sent unto her husband's father, saying, 'To a man whose these [are], I [am] pregnant;' and she saith, 'Discern, I pray thee, whose [are] these — the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.'

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.

And Judah discerneth and saith, 'She hath been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to Shelah my son;' and he hath not added to know her again.

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

And it cometh to pass in the time of her bearing, that lo, twins [are] in her womb;

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 it cometh to pass in her bearing, that [one] giveth out a hand, and the midwife taketh and bindeth on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, 'This hath come 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.

And it cometh to pass as he draweth back his hand, that lo, his brother hath come out, and she saith, 'What! thou hast broken forth — on thee [is] the breach;' and he calleth his name Pharez;

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

and afterwards hath his brother come out, on whose hand [is] the scarlet thread, and he calleth his name Zarah.