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 Judah went down from his brothers, and he pitched his tent with a certain Adullamite whose name was Chirah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 another son; and she called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.

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

And Judah took a wife for 'Er his first-born, whose name was Tamar.

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

And 'Er, Judah's first-born, was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord slew 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 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.

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.

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.

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

And the thing which he did was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord: wherefore 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.

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.

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 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.

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

And it was told unto Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth 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.

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.

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

And Judah saw her and thought her to be a harlot; 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?"

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?

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 from the flock. And she said, If thou wilt give me a pledge, till 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 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.

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

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from 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 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.

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."

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.

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 Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place have said, There hath been no harlot in this place.

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 Judah said, Let her keep it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and 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 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.

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."

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.

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 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.

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 at the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were 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, 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.

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 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.

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

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