Genesis 38

1 And at that time Iudah went downe from his brethren, and turned in to a man called Hirah an Adullamite.

It happened at that time that Judah moved away from his brothers and stayed with an Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2 And Iudah sawe there the daughter of a man called Suah a Canaanite: and he tooke her to wife, and went in vnto her.

There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite whose name was Shua. And he married her and slept with her.

3 So she conceiued and bare a sonne, and he called his name Er.

She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er.

4 And she conceiued againe, and bare a sonne, and she called his name Onan.

She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.

5 Moreouer she bare yet a sonne, whome she called Shelah: and Iudah was at Chezib when she bare him.

Then she gave birth to another son, and named him Shelah. And he was at Kezib when she gave birth to him.

6 Then Iudah tooke a wife to Er his first borne sonne whose name was Tamar.

And Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7 Now Er the first borne of Iudah was wicked in the sight of the Lord: therefore the Lord slewe him.

Now Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so God killed him.

8 Then Iudah said to Onan, Goe in vnto thy brothers wife, and do the office of a kinsman vnto her, and raise vp seede vnto thy brother.

Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother's wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

9 And Onan knewe that the seede should not be his: therefore when he went in vnto his brothers wife, he spilled it on the grounde, least he should giue seede vnto his brother.

But Onan knew that the offspring wouldn't be his. So it happened when he slept with his brother's wife that he released his semen on the ground, so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.

10 And it was wicked in the eyes of the Lord, which he did: wherefore he slewe him also.

And what he did was evil in the sight of God, so he killed him also.

11 Then said Iudah to Tamar his daughter in lawe, Remaine a widowe in thy fathers house, till Shelah my sonne growe vp (for he thought thus, Least he die as well as his brethren.) So Tamar went and dwelt in her fathers house.

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah is grown up." For he thought, "I do not want him to die too, like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12 And in processe of time also the daughter of Shuah Iudahs wife dyed. Then Iudah, when he had left mourning, went vp to his sheepe sherers to Timnah, he, and his neighbour Hirah the Adullamite.

After some time, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah finished mourning, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 And it was tolde Tamar, saying, beholde, thy father in lawe goeth vp to Timnah, to shere his sheepe.

And Tamar was told, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14 Then she put her widowes garments off from her, and couered her with a vaile, and wrapped her selfe, and sate downe in Pethah-enaim, which is by the way to Timnah, because she sawe that Shelah was growen, and she was not giuen vnto him to wife.

She took off her widow's clothes and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

15 When Iudah sawe her, he iudged her an whore: for she had couered her face.

When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.

16 And he turned to the way towardes her, and saide, Come, I pray thee, let me lie with thee. (for he knewe not that she was his daughter in lawe) And she answered, What wilt thou giue me for to lie with me?

He went over to her by the road and said, "Please come, let me sleep with you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me for sleeping with you?"

17 Then said he, I will sende thee a kid of the goates from the flocke. and she said, Well, if thou wilt giue me a pledge, till thou sende it.

He said, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, "Will you give me something as a guarantee until you send it?"

18 Then he saide, What is the pledge that I shall giue thee? And she answered, Thy signet, and thy cloke, and thy staffe that is in thine hande. So he gaue it her, and lay by her, and she was with childe by him.

He said, "What kind of guarantee should I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her, and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

19 Then she rose, and went and put her vaile from her and put on her widowes raiment.

And she got up and left, and took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothing.

20 Afterwarde Iudah sent a kid of the goates by the hande of his neighbour the Adullamite, for to receiue his pledge from the womans hand: but he found her not.

Judah sent the young goat by his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the guarantee back from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.

21 Then asked he the men of that place, saying, Where is ye whore, that sate in Enaim by the way side? And they answered, There was no whore here.

Then he asked the men of the place, saying, "Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim by the road?" They said, "There has been no prostitute here."

22 He came therefore to Iudah againe, and said, I can not finde her, and also the men of the place said, There was no whore there.

He returned to Judah, and said, "I haven't found her; and also the men of the place said, 'There has been no prostitute here.'"

23 Then Iudah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: beholde, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

Judah said, "Let her keep the things, lest we be publicly shamed. Look, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her."

24 Now after three moneths, one tolde Iudah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the whore, and lo, with playing the whore, she is great with childe. Then Iudah saide, Bring ye her foorth and let her be burnt.

Now it happened about three months later that Judah was told, saying, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has turned to prostitution, and now, look, she is pregnant by prostitution." Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."

25 When she was brought foorth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, vnto whom these things pertaine, am I with childe: and saide also, Looke, I pray thee, whose these are, the seale, and the cloke, and the staffe.

When she was brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man who owns these I am pregnant." She also said, "Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cord, and the staff."

26 Then Iudah knewe them, and said, She is more righteous then I: for she hath done it because I gaue her not to Shelah my sonne. So he lay with her no more.

Then Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." He did not sleep with her again.

27 Now, when the time was come that she should be deliuered, beholde, there were twinnes in her wombe.

It happened when it was time for her to give birth, that look, there were twins in her womb.

28 And when she was in trauell, the one put out his hand: and the midwife tooke and bound a red threde about his hand, saying, This is come out first.

As she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, "This one came out first."

29 But when he plucked his hand backe againe, loe, his brother came out, and the midwife said, How hast thou broken the breach vpon thee? and his name was called Pharez.

It happened, as he drew back his hand, that look, his brother came out, and she said, "How did you break through?" So he was named Perez.

30 And afterward came out his brother that had the red threde about his hande, and his name was called Zarah.

Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, so he was named Zerah.