Genesis 38
1 At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.
Around this time, Judah left his brothers and set up his tents at Adullam, near to a local man named Hirah.
2 And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.
There Judah happened to see the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua and married her. He slept with her,
3 And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.
and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.
4 And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.
She became pregnant again and had a son she named Onan.
5 She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.
Then she had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.
6 And Juda took a wife for Her his firstborn, whose name was Thamar.
Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named Tamar.
7 And Her, the firstborn of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him.
But Er did what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death.
8 Juda, therefore said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother’s wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother.
Judah told Onan, “Go and sleep with your brother's wife to fulfill the requirements of a brother-in-law to have children on behalf of your brother.”
9 He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother’s wife, spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother’s name.
Onan realized that any children he had wouldn't be his own, so whenever he slept with his brother's wife he made sure she wouldn't become pregnant by withdrawing and spilling his semen on the ground. In this way he prevented any children being born on behalf of his brother.
10 And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing.
But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.
11 Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter in law: Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way and dwelt in her father’s house.
Then Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Go to your father's house and live there as a widow until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “Maybe he'll die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went and stayed in her father's house.
12 And after many days were past, the daughter of Sue the wife of Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite the shepherd of his flock.
A long time later Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah had finished the time of mourning, he went to visit his sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah from Adullam.
13 And it was told Thamar that her father in law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep.
Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him.
So she took off her widow's clothes and covered herself with a veil, disguising herself. She sat down beside the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. She had realized that even though Shelah had now grown up, nothing had been done about her marrying him.
15 When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known.
Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled her face.
16 And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter in law. And she answered: What wilt thou give me to enjoy my company?
He went over to her at the side of the road and said, “I want to sleep with you.” He didn't know she was his daughter-in-law. “What will you give me if I let you sleep with me?” she asked.
17 He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest,
“I'll send you a young goat from my flock,” he replied. “What guarantee will you give me to make sure you'll send it?” she asked.
18 Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge? She answered: Thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The woman therefore at one copulation conceived.
“What guarantee do I have to give you?” he asked. “Your signet seal and its cord, and your walking stick that you're holding,” she replied. He handed them over to her. He slept with her and she became pregnant.
19 And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood.
She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.
20 And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her,
Judah sent his friend Hirah from Adullam with a young goat to get back his belongings he'd left as a guarantee from the woman, but he couldn't find her.
21 Asked the men of that place: Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place,
Hirah asked the men there, “Where's the cult prostitute that sits by the entrance road to Enaim?” “There's no cult prostitute here,” they answered.
22 He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; moreover the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there.
Hirah went back to Judah and told him, “I couldn't find her, and the men there said, ‘There's no cult prostitute here.’”
23 Juda said: Let her take it to herself; surely she cannot charge us with a, lie: I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her.
“Let her keep what I gave her,” Judah replied. “We'll look ridiculous to people if we go on searching. In any case I did try to send her the young goat as promised but you couldn't find her.”
24 And behold after three months they told Juda, saying: Thamar, thy daughter in law hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. And Juda said: Bring her out that she may be burnt.
Then about three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has had sex like a prostitute and now as a result she's pregnant!” “Bring her out and burn her to death!” Judah ordered.
25 But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.
As she was brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, saying, “I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things.” Then she added, “Please look carefully at this signet seal and its cord and walking stick. Who do they belong to?”
26 But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However, he knew her no more.
Judah recognized them right away and said, “She has honored the law more than I have, because I didn't give her in marriage to my son Shelah.” He didn't sleep with Tamar again.
27 And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying:
When the time came for Tamar to give birth, she was found to be carrying twins.
28 This shall come forth the first.
One baby put out his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”
29 But he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman said: Why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his name Phares.
But then he pulled back his hand and his brother was born, she said, “How did you burst out?” So he was named Perez.
30 Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called him Zara.
Then his brother with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born. He was named Zerah.
