Genesis 38

1 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.

About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.

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

There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her.

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

So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er.

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

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

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

Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.

8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto your brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to your brother.

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”

9 And Onan knew that the seed should 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 that he should give seed to his brother.

But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.

10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.

11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at your father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest possibly he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.

12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah.

13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold your father in law goes up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

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

14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

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

16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray you, let me come in unto you; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What will you give me, that you may come in unto me?

Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.

17 And he said, I will send you a kid from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge, till you send it?

“I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered. But she replied, “Only if you leave me something as a pledge until you send it.”

18 And he said, What pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your signet, and your bracelets, and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

“What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.

20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.

21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered.

22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

So Hirah returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and furthermore, the men of that place said, ‘No shrine prostitute has been here.’”

23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.

“Let her keep the items,” Judah replied. “Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her.”

24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter in law has played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”

25 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 you, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?”

26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She has been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he had sexual contact with her again no more.

Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.

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

When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

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

And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced.

29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How have you broken forth? this breach be upon you: therefore his name was called Pharez.

But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.

30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah.