Genesis 38

1 Around this time, Judah left his brothers and set up his tents at Adullam, near to a local man named Hirah.

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

2 There Judah happened to see the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua and married her. He slept with her,

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.

3 and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.

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

4 She became pregnant again and had a son she named Onan.

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

5 Then she had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.

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

6 Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named Tamar.

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

7 But Er did what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death.

And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

8 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.”

And Judah said unto Onan: 'Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.'

9 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.

And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

10 But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.

And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him also.

11 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.

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law: 'Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown up'; for he said: 'Lest he also die, like his brethren.' And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

12 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.

And in process of time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

And it was told Tamar, saying: 'Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep.'

14 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.

And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

15 Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled her face.

When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face.

16 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.

And he turned unto her by the way, and said: 'Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee'; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said: 'What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'

17 “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.

And he said: 'I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she said: 'Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?'

18 “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.

And he said: 'What pledge shall I give thee?' And she said: 'Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand.' And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

19 She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.

And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 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.

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.

21 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.

Then he asked the men of her place, saying: 'Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?' And they said: 'There hath been no harlot here.'

22 Hirah went back to Judah and told him, “I couldn't find her, and the men there said, ‘There's no cult prostitute here.’”

And he returned to Judah, and said: 'I have not found her; and also the men of the place said: There hath been no harlot here.'

23 “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.”

And Judah said: 'Let her take it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.'

24 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.

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying: 'Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry.' And Judah said: 'Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.'

25 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?”

When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: 'By the man, whose these are, am I with child'; and she said: 'Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.'

26 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.

And Judah acknowledged them, and said: 'She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son.' And he knew her again no more.

27 When the time came for Tamar to give birth, she was found to be carrying twins.

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

28 One baby put out his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”

And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying: 'This came out first.'

29 But then he pulled back his hand and his brother was born, she said, “How did you burst out?” So he was named Perez.

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold his brother came out; and she said: 'Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself?' Therefore his name was called Perez.

30 Then his brother with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born. He was named Zerah.

And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zerah.