Genesis 38

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Then she gave birth to another son, and named him Shelah. And he was at Kezib when she gave birth to 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 got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

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

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

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

8 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."

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 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.

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

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

11 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.

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 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.

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

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

14 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.

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 that she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.

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

16 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?"

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 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?"

“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 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.

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

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

20 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.

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

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 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.'"

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

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 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."

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 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.

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

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

28 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."

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 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.

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

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