Genesis 38
1 Around this time, Judah left his brothers and set up his tents at Adullam, near to a local man named Hirah.
It came about at that time that Judah left his brothers and stayed with 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,
He met there a daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua. He married her and slept with her.
3 and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.
She became pregnant and had a son. He was named Er.
4 She became pregnant again and had a son she named Onan.
She became pregnant again and had a son. She called his name Onan.
5 Then she had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.
She again had a son and called his name Shelah. It was at Kezib where she gave birth to him.
6 Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named Tamar.
Judah found a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar.
7 But Er did what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death.
Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed 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.”
Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother's wife. Do the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a child for your 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.
Onan knew that the child would not be his. Whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground so he would not have a child for his brother.
10 But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.
What he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed 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 Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father's house until Shelah, my son, grows up.” For he feared, “He might also die, just like his brothers.” Tamar left and lived 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.
After a long time, Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13 Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going 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.
She took off the clothing of her widowhood and covered herself with her veil and wrapped herself. She sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up but she had not been given to him as a wife.
15 Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled her face.
When Judah saw her he thought that she was a prostitute because 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.
He went to her by the road and said, “Come, please let me sleep with you”—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law—and she said, “What will you give me so you can sleep 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.
He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge until you 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.
He said, “What pledge can I give you?” She replied, “Your seal and cord, and the staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19 She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.
She got up and went away. She took off her veil and put on the clothing 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.
Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order that he might receive the pledge back from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.
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 the Adullamite asked the men of the place, “Where is the cultic prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has not been a cultic prostitute 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.’”
He returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her. Also, the men of the place said, 'There has not been a cultic prostitute 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.”
Judah said, “Let her keep the things, that we not be put to shame. Indeed, I sent this young goat, but you did not find 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.
It came about after about three months that it was told to Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed prostitution, and indeed, she is pregnant by it.” Judah said, “Bring her here and let her be burned.”
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 out, she sent to her father-in-law a message, “By the man who owns these I am pregnant.” She said, “Determine please whose these are, the seal and cords and 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.
Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I am, since I did not give her as a wife to Shelah, my son.” He did not sleep with her again.
27 When the time came for Tamar to give birth, she was found to be carrying twins.
It came about at the time for her to give birth 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.”
It came about as she was giving birth one put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand and said, “This one 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.
But then he drew back his hand, and, behold, his brother came out first. The midwife said, “How you have broken out!” So he was named Perez.
30 Then his brother with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born. He was named Zerah.
Then his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread upon his hand, and he was named Zerah.
