Genesis 38
1 Around this time, Judah left his brothers and set up his tents at Adullam, near to a local man named Hirah.
Ɛbaa sɛ saa ɛberɛ no ara mu, Yuda tu firii ne nuammarimanom no nkyɛn ne Adulamni ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Hira kɔtenaeɛ.
2 There Judah happened to see the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua and married her. He slept with her,
Ɛhɔ na Yuda kɔhyiaa Kanaanni ɔbaa bi a ɔyɛ ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Sua no babaa. Yuda waree Sua babaa no.
3 and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.
Sua babaa no nyinsɛneeɛ, woo ɔbabarima, na wɔtoo no edin Er.
4 She became pregnant again and had a son she named Onan.
Sua babaa no sane nyinsɛneeɛ woo ɔbabarima bio. Wɔtoo abɔfra no edin Onan.
5 Then she had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.
Sua babaa no nyinsɛneeɛ ne mprɛnsa so wɔ Kesib, woo ɔbabarima bio. Saa abarimaa no nso, wɔtoo no edin Sela.
6 Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named Tamar.
Ɛberɛ a Yuda abakan Er nyiniiɛ no, wɔwaree ababaawa bi a wɔfrɛ no Tamar maa no.
7 But Er did what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death.
Esiane sɛ na Yuda abakan Er yɛ omumuyɛfoɔ wɔ Awurade anim no enti, Awurade kumm no.
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.”
Er wuo akyiri no, Yuda ka kyerɛɛ Er akyiri ba Onan sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ woware okunafoɔ Tamar, sɛdeɛ yɛn amanneɛ te no, na sɛ wo ne no wo a, mma no ayɛ wo nua no adedifoɔ.”
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.
Esiane sɛ na Onan mpɛ sɛ ɔbɛwo akyɛ a mmɔfra no renyɛ nʼankasa mma enti, sɛ ɔne okunafoɔ Tamar kɔda a, ɔmma nʼahobaa no ngu ɔbaa no mu. Mmom, ɔma no gu fam sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, ɔrenwo ɔba a ɛbɛyɛ ne nua owufoɔ no deɛ.
10 But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.
Esiane sɛ deɛ ɔyɛeɛ no nsɔ Awurade ani, sɛ ɔmpɛ sɛ ɔwo ba ma ne nua owufoɔ no enti, ɔno nso, ɔkumm no.
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.
Afei, Yuda ka kyerɛɛ nʼase okunafoɔ Tamar sɛ, “Tu na kɔtena wʼagya fie sɛ okunafoɔ kɔsi sɛ me babarima Sala bɛnyini.” Na ɔsuro sɛ, Sela nso bɛwu, sɛdeɛ ne nuanom mpanimfoɔ Er ne Onan wuwuiɛ no. Enti, Tamar tu kɔtenaa nʼagya fie hɔ.
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.
Ɛwɔ hɔ ara na Yuda yere a ɔyɛ Sua babaa no nso wuiɛ. Ɛberɛ a wɔyii Yuda firii kuna mu no, ɔkɔɔ ne nnwanhotwitwafoɔ nkyɛn wɔ Timna. Ɔrekɔ no, ɔne nʼadamfo Adulamni Hira na ɛkɔeɛ.
13 Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
Obi bɛbɔɔ Tamar amaneɛ sɛ, “Wʼase Yuda rebɛtwam akɔ Timna akɔtwitwa ne nnwan ho nwi.”
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.
Enti, Tamar yii ne kuna ntadeɛ no guu hɔ. Ɔfaa nkatanimu kataa nʼanim, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a obiara nhunu sɛ ɛyɛ ɔno Tamar. Afei, ɔkɔtenaa Enaim kurotia wɔ Timna ɛkwan so. Ɛfiri sɛ, ɔhunuu sɛ Sela anyini deɛ, nanso na Yuda mmaa ne babarima no kwan mmaa ɔmmɛwaree no.
15 Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled her face.
Ɛberɛ a Yuda hunuu Tamar no, na ɔdwene sɛ ɔyɛ ɔbaa dwamanfoɔ bi, ɛfiri sɛ, na wakata nʼanim.
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.
Yuda kɔɔ Tamar nkyɛn wɔ ɛkwankyɛn hɔ a, na ɔnnim sɛ ɔyɛ nʼase. Yuda ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ma yɛnkɔ seesei ara na me ne wo nkɔda.” Tamar bisaa no sɛ, “Sɛ me ne wo kɔda a, wobɛma me ɛdeɛn?”
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.
Yuda buaa sɛ, “Mɛma wɔde ɔpapo afiri me nnwankuo no mu abrɛ wo.” Tamar bisaa no bio sɛ, “Ansa na wode ɔpapo no bɛba no, ɛdeɛn na wode bɛdi wo ho agyinamu?”
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.
Yuda nso bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn adeɛ na wopɛ sɛ mede di me ho agyinamu?” Tamar buaa sɛ, “Deɛ fa di wo ho agyinamu ne wo nsa so kawa ne nʼahoma ne saa poma a ɛkura wo yi.” Enti, Yuda de saa nneɛma yi nyinaa maa Tamar ne no kɔdaeɛ, ma ɔnyinsɛneeɛ.
19 She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.
Tamar firii hɔ akyiri no, ɔkɔyii ne nkatanimu no guu hɔ, sane faa ne kunatam firaeɛ.
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.
Yuda de ɔpapo no maa nʼadamfo Adulamni no sɛ, ɔmfa nkɔma ɔbaa no, na ɔnnye nneɛma a ɔde dii ne ho agyinamu no mmrɛ no no, wanhu no. Enti, Adulamni no
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.
bisaa kurom hɔfoɔ no sɛ, “Ɛhe na hyiadan mu ɔbaa odwamanfoɔ a na ɔte Enaim kwankyɛn frɛfrɛ mmarima no wɔ?” Wɔbuaa no sɛ, “Yɛnni hyiadan mu ɔbaa odwamanfoɔ biara wɔ ha.”
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.’”
Enti, ɔsane kɔɔ Yuda hɔ, kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Manhunu no. Ɛnna kurom hɔfoɔ nso kaa sɛ, ‘Hyiadan mu ɔbaa odwamanfoɔ biara nni ha.’”
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.”
Yuda nso kaa sɛ, “Ma no mfa nneɛma no, na anyɛ saa a wɔbɛsere yɛn. Wo ara wodi ho adanseɛ sɛ memaa wode ɔpapo no kɔeɛ, nanso woanhunu no.”
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.
Ɛbɛyɛ abosome mmiɛnsa akyiri no, Yuda tee sɛ nʼase Tamar abɔ adwaman, anyinsɛn. Ɔtee saa asɛm no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Monkɔkye no mmra, na yɛnhye no, nku no.”
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?”
Wɔkɔkyeree Tamar de no reba abɛkum no no, ɔsoma ma wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ nʼase Yuda sɛ, “Onipa a ne nneɛma nie no na ɔne me nyinsɛneeɛ. Monhwɛ sɛ mobɛhunu onipa ko a saa nsa so kawa ne nʼahoma ne poma yi yɛ ne dea no anaa.”
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.
Yuda gye too mu sɛ, saa nneɛma no yɛ ne dea. Ɔtoaa so sɛ, “Ɔbaa yi yɛ ɔteneneeni sen me, ɛfiri sɛ, mamfa no amma me babarima Sela anware.” Ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, Yuda ankɔ Tamar ho bio.
27 When the time came for Tamar to give birth, she was found to be carrying twins.
Tamar awoɔ duruu so no, ɔwoo nta.
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.”
Ɛberɛ a ɔrewo no, nta no mu baako de ne nsa dii ɛkan baeɛ. Enti, ɔbaa a ɔregye no awoɔ no de asaawa kɔkɔɔ bɔɔ abɔfra no abakɔn, kaa sɛ, “Yei na wɔwoo no kane.”
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.
Saa abɔfra no twee ne nsa sane kɔɔ mu. Ɔsane twee ne nsa kɔɔ mu no, wɔwoo ne nua a ɔka ne ho no mmom. Na ɔwogyefoɔ no kaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn abususɛm ni!” Wɔtoo no edin Peres.
30 Then his brother with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born. He was named Zerah.
Akyire no, ɔwoo ne nuabarima a na asaawa kɔkɔɔ bɔ nʼabakɔn no. Wɔtoo ɔno nso edin Serah.
