Genesis 38

1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a man of Adullam whose name was Hirah.

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

2 And Judah saw there the daughter of a Canaanitish man whose name was Shua; 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 he called his name Er.

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

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

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

5 And again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she bore him.

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

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

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

7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah slew him.

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

8 Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and fulfil to her the brother-in-law's duty, 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 But when Onan knew that the seed should not be his own, it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, in order to give no seed to his brother.

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 the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah, 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 Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, until Shelah my son is grown; for he said, Lest he die also, as his brethren. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.

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 as the days were multiplied, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheep-shearers, to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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 Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law is going up to Timnah 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 she put the garments of her widowhood off from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entry of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as 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 Judah saw her, and took her for a harlot; because she had covered her face.

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

16 And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me go in to thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest 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 the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give [me] a pledge, 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 pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy lace, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave [it] 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 went away; and she laid by her veil from 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 Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; but 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 her place, saying, Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim, by the way-side? And they said, There was no prostitute 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 Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, No prostitute has been 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 Then Judah said, Let her take [it] for herself, lest we be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and 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 about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law has committed fornication, and behold, she is also with child by fornication. And Judah said, Bring her forth, that she may be burned.

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 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these [belong] am I with child; and she said, Acknowledge, I pray thee, whose are this signet, and this lace, and this 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 Judah acknowledged [them], and said, She is more righteous than I, because I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

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 at the time of her delivery, that behold, twins were 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 when she brought forth, that one stretched out [his] hand, and the midwife took it and bound round his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came 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 it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, How hast thou broken forth! on thee be the breach! And they called his name Pherez.

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 afterwards came out his brother, round whose hand was the scarlet thread; and they called his name Zerah.

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