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 fortuned at that tyme that Iudas went from his brethren and gatt him to a man called Hira of Odollam
2 There Judah happened to see the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua and married her. He slept with her,
and there he sawe the doughter of a man called Sua a Canaanyte. And he toke her ad went in vnto her.
3 and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.
And she conceaued and bare a sonne and called his name Er.
4 She became pregnant again and had a son she named Onan.
And she conceaued agayne and bare a sonne and called him Onan.
5 Then she had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.
And she conceaued the thyrde tyme and bare a sonne whom she called Scla: and he was at Chesyb when she bare hem.
6 Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named Tamar.
And Iudas gaue Er his eldest sonne a wife whose name was Thamar.
7 But Er did what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death.
But this Er Iudas eldest sonne was wicked in the syghte of the LORde wherfore the LORde slewe 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.”
Than sayde Iudas vnto Onan: goo in to thi brothers wyfe and Marie her and styrre vp seed vnto 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 when Onan perceaued that the seed shulde not be his: therfore when he went in to his brothers wife he spylled it on the grounde because he wold not geue seed vnto his brother.
10 But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.
And the thinge which he dyd displeased the LORde wherfore 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.
Than sayde Iudas to Thamar his doughter in lawe: remayne a wydow at thi fathers house tyll Sela my sonne be growne: for he feared lest he shulde haue dyed also as his brethren did. Thus went Thamar and dwelt in hir fathers 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 processe of tyme the doughter of Sua Iudas wife dyed. Than Iudas when he had left mornynge went vnto his shepe sherers to Thimnath with his frende Hira of Odollam.
13 Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
And one told Thamar saynge: beholde thy father in lawe goth vp to Thimnath to shere his shepe.
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 hyr wydows garmetes of from her and couered her with a clooke and disgyssed herself: And sat her downe at the entrynge of Enaim which is by the hye wayes syde to Thimnath for because she sawe that Sela was growne and she was not geue vnto him to wife.
15 Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled her face.
When Iuda sawe her he thought it had bene an hoore because she had couered hyr 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 turned to her vnto the waye and sayde come I praye the let me lye with the for he knewe not that it was his doughter in lawe. And she sayde what wylt thou gyue me for to lye with 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.
Tha sayde he I will sende the a kydd fro the flocke. She answered Than geue me a pledge till thou sende 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.
Than sayde he what pledge shall I geue the? And she sayde: they sygnett thy necke lace and thy staffe that is in thy hande. And he gaue it her and lay by her and she was with child by him.
19 She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.
And she gatt her vp and went and put her mantell from her ad put on hir widowes rayment agayne.
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 Iudas sent the kydd by his neybure of Odollam for to fetch out his pledge agayne from the wifes hande. But he fownde 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.
Than asked he the men of the same place saynge: where is the whoore that satt at Enaim in the waye? And they sayde: there was no whoore 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 came to Iuda agayne saynge: I can not fynde her and also the men of the place sayde: that there was no whoore there.
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 Iuda sayde: let her take it to her lest we be shamed: for I sente the kydd and thou coudest not fynde 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 passe that after. iij. monethes one tolde Iuda saynge: Thamar thy doughter in lawe hath played the whoore and with playnge the whoore is become great with childe. And Iuda sayde: brynge her forth ad let her be brente.
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?”
And when they brought her forth she sent to her father in lawe saynge: by the ma vnto whome these thinges pertayne am I with childe. And sayd also: loke whose are this seall necklace and staffe.
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 Iuda knewe them saynge: she is more rightwes tha I because I gaue her not to Sela my sone. But he laye with her nomore.
27 When the time came for Tamar to give birth, she was found to be carrying twins.
When tyme was come that she shulde be delyuered beholde there was. ij. twynnes in hyr wobe.
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 as she traveled the one put out his hande and the mydwife toke and bownde a reed threde aboute it saynge: this wyll come out fyrst.
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.
But he plucked his hande backe agayne and his brother came out. And she sayde: wherfore hast thou rent a rent vppon the? and called him Pharez.
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 reade threde about his hade which was called Zarah.
