Genesis 38
1 About the same time, Judah, descending from his brothers, turned toward an Adullamite man, named Hirah.
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 he saw there the daughter of a man called Shua, of Canaan. And taking her as a wife, he entered 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 she called his name Er.
And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er;
4 And conceiving offspring again, having given birth to a son, she called him Onan.
and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan;
5 Likewise, she bore a third, whom she called Shelah, after whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.
and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.
6 Then Judah gave a wife to his first born Er, whose name was Tamar.
And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name [is] Tamar;
7 And it also happened that Er, the first born of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the Lord and was killed by him.
and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death.
8 Therefore, Judah said to his son Onan: “Enter to the wife of your brother, and associate with her, so that you may raise offspring to your 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 He, knowing that the sons to be born would not be his, when he entered to the wife of his brother, he spilled his seed on the ground, lest children should be born in his brother’s name.
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 for this reason, the Lord struck him down, because he did a detestable thing.
and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death.
11 Because of this matter, Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Be a widow in your father’s house, until my son Shelah grows up.” For he was afraid, lest he also might die, just as his brothers did. She went away, and she lived in her father’s house.
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 Then, after many days had passed, the daughter of Shua, the wife of Judah, died. And when he accepted consolation after his mourning, he went up to the shearers of his sheep at Timnah, he and Hirah, the herdsman of the Adullamite flock.
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 reported to Tamar that her father-in-law had gone up to Timnah to shear the sheep.
And it is declared to Tamar, saying, 'Lo, thy husband's father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;'
14 And storing away the garments of her widowhood, she took up a veil. And changing her clothing, she sat at the crossroad that leads to Timnah, because Shelah had grown up, and she had not received him as a husband.
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 Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot. For she had covered her face, lest she be recognized.
And Judah seeth her, and reckoneth her for a harlot, for she hath covered her face,
16 And entering to her, he said, “Permit me to join with you.” For he did not know her to be his daughter-in-law. And she responded, “What will you give to me, to enjoy me as a concubine?”
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 He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And again, she said, “I will allow what you want, if you give me a pledge, until you may send what you promise.”
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 Judah said, “What do you want to be given for a pledge?” She responded, “Your ring and bracelet, and the staff that you hold in your hand.” Thereupon, the woman, from one sexual encounter, conceived.
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 went away. And storing away the garments that she had taken up, she was clothed in 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 Then Judah sent a young goat by his shepherd, the Adullamite, so that he might receive the pledge that he had given to the woman. But, when he had not found her,
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 he questioned the men of that place: “Where is the woman who sat at the crossroad?” And they all responded, “There has been no harlot in this place.”
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 He returned to Judah, and he said to him: “I did not find her. Moreover, the men of that place told me that a prostitute had never sat there.”
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 Judah said: “Let her hold herself to blame. Certainly, she is not able to accuse us of a lie. I sent the young goat that I had promised, and you did not find 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 behold, after three months, they reported to Judah, saying, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has committed fornication and her abdomen appears to be enlarged.” And Judah said, “Produce her, so that she may be burned.”
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 But when she was led out to the punishment, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: “I conceived by the man to whom these things belong. Recognize whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.”
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 But he, acknowledging the gifts, said: “She is more just than I am. For I did not deliver her to my son Shelah.” However, he knew her no more.
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 Then, at the moment of birth, there appeared twins in the womb. And so, in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, on which the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying,
And it cometh to pass in the time of her bearing, that lo, twins [are] in her womb;
28 “This one will go 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 But in truth, drawing back his hand, the other came out. And the woman said, “Why is the partition divided for you?” And for this reason, she called his name Perez.
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 After this, his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread. And she called him Zerah.
and afterwards hath his brother come out, on whose hand [is] the scarlet thread, and he calleth his name Zarah.
