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.

And it comes to pass, at that time, that Judah goes down from his brothers, and turns aside to a man, an Adullamite, whose name [is] 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 Judah sees there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name [is] Shuah, and takes her, and goes in to her.

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

And she conceives, and bears a son, and he calls his name Er;

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

and she conceives again, and bears a son, and calls his name Onan;

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

and she adds again, and bears a son, and calls his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.

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

And Judah takes a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name [is] Tamar;

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

and Er, Judah’s firstborn, is evil in the eyes of YHWH, and YHWH puts 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.

And Judah says to Onan, “Go in to the wife of your brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to 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.

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

10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and he slew him also.

and that which he has done is evil in the eyes of YHWH, and He puts him also to death.

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.

And Judah says to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Abide [as] a widow at your father’s house, until my son Shelah grows up”; for he said, “Lest he die—even he—like his brothers”; and Tamar goes and dwells at 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 the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah’s wife, dies; and Judah is comforted, and goes up to his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.

13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.

And it is declared to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your husband’s father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock”;

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.

and she turns aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covers herself with a veil, and wraps herself up, and sits in the opening of Enayim, which [is] by the way to Timnath, for she has seen that Shelah has grown up, and she has not been given to him for a wife.

15 And Judah saw her, and took her for a harlot; because she had covered her face.

And Judah sees her, and reckons her for a harlot, for she has covered her face,

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 he turns aside to her by the way and says, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he has not known that she [is] his daughter-in-law; and she says, “What do you give to me, that you may come in to me?”

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 says, “I send a kid of the goats from the flock.” And she says, “Do you give a pledge until 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 says, “What [is] the pledge that I give to you?” And she says, “Your seal, and your ribbon, and your staff which [is] in your hand”; and he gives to her, and goes in to her, and she conceives to him;

19 And she arose and went away; and she laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

and she rises, and goes, and turns aside her veil from off her, and puts on the garments of her widowhood.

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.

And Judah sends 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 has not found her.

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 asks the men of her place, saying, “Where [is] the separated one—she in Enayim, by the way?” And they say, “There has not been in this [place] a separated one.”

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.

And he turns back to Judah and says, “I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There has not been in this [place] a separated one,”

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 says, “Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.”

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.

And it comes to pass about three months [after], that it is declared to Judah, saying, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has committed fornication; and also, behold, she has conceived by fornication”: and Judah says, “Bring her out—and she is 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.

She is brought out, and she has sent to her husband’s father, saying, “To a man whose these [are], I [am] pregnant”; and she says, “Please discern whose these [are]—the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.”

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.

And Judah discerns and says, “She has been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to my son Shelah”; and he has not added to know her again.

27 And it came to pass at the time of her delivery, that behold, twins were in her womb.

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

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 it comes to pass in her bearing, that [one] gives out a hand, and the midwife takes and binds on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This has come 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.

And it comes to pass as he draws back his hand, that behold, his brother has come out, and she says, “What! You have broken forth—the breach [is] on you”; and he calls his name Perez;

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

and afterward his brother has come out, on whose hand [is] the scarlet thread, and he calls his name Zerah.