Genesis 38

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

And it came to pass at that time that Judas went down from his brethren, and came as far as to a certain man of Odollam, whose name was Iras.

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

And Judas saw there the daughter of a Chananitish man, whose name was Sava; and he took her, and went in to her.

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

And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name, Er.

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

And she conceived and bore a son again; and called his name, Aunan.

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

And she again bore a son; and called his name, Selom: and she was in Chasbi when she bore them.

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

And Judas took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Thamar.

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

And Er, the first-born of Judas, was wicked before the Lord; and God killed him.

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."

And Judas said to Aunan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and marry her as her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy 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.

And Aunan, knowing that the seed should not be his—it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] upon the ground, so that he should not give seed to his brother's wife.

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

And his doing this appeared evil before God; and he slew him also.

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.

And Judas said to Thamar, his daughter-in-law, Sit thou a widow in the house of thy father-in-law, until Selom my son be grown; for he said, lest he also die as his brethren; and Thamar departed, and sat in the house of her father.

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.

And the days were fulfilled, and Sava the wife of Judas died; and Judas, being comforted, went to them that sheared his sheep, himself and Iras his Shepherd the Odollamite, to Thamna.

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

And it was told Thamar his daughter-in-law, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Thamna, 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.

And having taken off the garments of her widowhood from her, she put on a veil, and ornamented her face, and sat by the gates of Aenan, which is in the way to Thamna, for she saw that Selom was grown; but he gave her not to him for a wife.

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

And when Judas saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she covered her face, and he knew her not.

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?"

And he went out of his way to her, and said to her, Let me come in to thee; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law; and she said, What wilt thou give me if thou shouldest come in to me?

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?"

And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from my flock; and she said, [Well], if thou wilt give me an earnest, until thou 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.

And he said, What is the earnest that I shall give thee? and she said, Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and the staff in thy hand; and he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

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

And she arose and departed, and took her veil from off her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

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.

And Judas sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his shepherd the Odollamite, to receive the pledge from the woman; and he found her not.

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."

And he asked the men of the place, Where is the harlot who was in Aenan by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot here.

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.'"

And he returned to Judas, and said, I have not found her; and the men of the place say, There is no harlot 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."

And Judas said, Let her have them, but let us not be ridiculed; I sent this kid, but thou hast not found 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."

And it came to pass after three months, that it was told Judas, saying, Thamar thy daughter-in-law has grievously played the harlot, and behold she is with child by whoredom; and Judas said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt.

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."

And as they were bringing her, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man whose these things are; and she said, See whose is this ring and bracelet and staff.

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.

And Judas knew [them], and said, Thamar is cleared rather than I, forasmuch as I gave her not to Selom my son: and he knew her not again.

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

And it came to pass when she was in labour, that she also had 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 it came to pass as she was bringing forth, one thrust forth his hand, and the midwife having taken hold of it, bound upon his hand a scarlet [thread], saying, This one shall come out first.

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.

And when he drew back his hand, then immediately came forth his brother; and she said, Why has the barrier been cut through because of thee? and she called his name, Phares.

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

And after this came forth his brother, on whose hand was the scarlet thread; and she called his name, Zara.