< Genesis 38 >

1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and he pitched his tent with a certain Adullamite whose name was Chirah.
ויהי בעת ההוא וירד יהודה מאת אחיו ויט עד איש עדלמי ושמו חירה׃
2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.
וירא שם יהודה בת איש כנעני ושמו שוע ויקחה ויבא אליה׃
3 And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name 'Er.
ותהר ותלד בן ויקרא את שמו ער׃
4 And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan.
ותהר עוד ותלד בן ותקרא את שמו אונן׃
5 And she again bore another son; and she called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.
ותסף עוד ותלד בן ותקרא את שמו שלה והיה בכזיב בלדתה אתו׃
6 And Judah took a wife for 'Er his first-born, whose name was Tamar.
ויקח יהודה אשה לער בכורו ושמה תמר׃
7 And 'Er, Judah's first-born, was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.
ויהי ער בכור יהודה רע בעיני יהוה וימתהו יהוה׃
8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and take her, as her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy brother.
ויאמר יהודה לאונן בא אל אשת אחיך ויבם אתה והקם זרע לאחיך׃
9 Onan thus 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, so as not to give seed unto his brother.
וידע אונן כי לא לו יהיה הזרע והיה אם בא אל אשת אחיו ושחת ארצה לבלתי נתן זרע לאחיו׃
10 And the thing which he did was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.
וירע בעיני יהוה אשר עשה וימת גם אתו׃
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown; for he thought, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brothers have done. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
ויאמר יהודה לתמר כלתו שבי אלמנה בית אביך עד יגדל שלה בני כי אמר פן ימות גם הוא כאחיו ותלך תמר ותשב בית אביה׃
12 And many days had elapsed when the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and after Judah was comforted, he went up unto his sheep-shearers, he and his friend Chirah the Adullamite, to Timnah.
וירבו הימים ותמת בת שוע אשת יהודה וינחם יהודה ויעל על גזזי צאנו הוא וחירה רעהו העדלמי תמנתה׃
13 And it was told unto Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep.
ויגד לתמר לאמר הנה חמיך עלה תמנתה לגז צאנו׃
14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered herself with a vail, and concealed her face, and seated herself at the cross-road, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him for wife.
ותסר בגדי אלמנותה מעליה ותכס בצעיף ותתעלף ותשב בפתח עינים אשר על דרך תמנתה כי ראתה כי גדל שלה והוא לא נתנה לו לאשה׃
15 And Judah saw her and thought her to be a harlot; because she had covered her face.
ויראה יהודה ויחשבה לזונה כי כסתה פניה׃
16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; [for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law.] And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
ויט אליה אל הדרך ויאמר הבה נא אבוא אליך כי לא ידע כי כלתו הוא ותאמר מה תתן לי כי תבוא אלי׃
17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, If thou wilt give me a pledge, till thou send it.
ויאמר אנכי אשלח גדי עזים מן הצאן ותאמר אם תתן ערבון עד שלחך׃
18 And he said, What is the pledge which I shall give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy scarf, and thy staff that is in thy hand. And he gave them unto her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
ויאמר מה הערבון אשר אתן לך ותאמר חתמך ופתילך ומטך אשר בידך ויתן לה ויבא אליה ותהר לו׃
19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
ותקם ותלך ותסר צעיפה מעליה ותלבש בגדי אלמנותה׃
20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to take the pledge out of the woman's hand; but he found her not.
וישלח יהודה את גדי העזים ביד רעהו העדלמי לקחת הערבון מיד האשה ולא מצאה׃
21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was at the cross-road on the highway? And they said, There hath been no harlot in this neighborhood.
וישאל את אנשי מקמה לאמר איה הקדשה הוא בעינים על הדרך ויאמרו לא היתה בזה קדשה׃
22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place have said, There hath been no harlot in this place.
וישב אל יהודה ויאמר לא מצאתיה וגם אנשי המקום אמרו לא היתה בזה קדשה׃
23 And Judah said, Let her keep it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
ויאמר יהודה תקח לה פן נהיה לבוז הנה שלחתי הגדי הזה ואתה לא מצאתה׃
24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told to Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by prostitution. And Judah said, Lead her forth, and let her be burnt.
ויהי כמשלש חדשים ויגד ליהודה לאמר זנתה תמר כלתך וגם הנה הרה לזנונים ויאמר יהודה הוציאוה ותשרף׃
25 When she was led forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Acknowledge, I pray thee, to whom belong these, the signet, the scarf, and staff.
הוא מוצאת והיא שלחה אל חמיה לאמר לאיש אשר אלה לו אנכי הרה ותאמר הכר נא למי החתמת והפתילים והמטה האלה׃
26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her not again any more.
ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני כי על כן לא נתתיה לשלה בני ולא יסף עוד לדעתה׃
27 And it came to pass at the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
ויהי בעת לדתה והנה תאומים בבטנה׃
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.
ויהי בלדתה ויתן יד ותקח המילדת ותקשר על ידו שני לאמר זה יצא ראשנה׃
29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold his brother came out; and she said, How hast thou broken forth! this breach is upon thee: therefore his name was called Perez.
ויהי כמשיב ידו והנה יצא אחיו ותאמר מה פרצת עליך פרץ ויקרא שמו פרץ׃
30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerach.
ואחר יצא אחיו אשר על ידו השני ויקרא שמו זרח׃

< Genesis 38 >