Genesis 38

1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down away from his brethren, —and turned aside unto 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 Shua, —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, bare a son, and called his name Shelah, —and she, 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, —and, her name, was Tamar.

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

7 And it came to pass that Er, Judah’s firstborn was displeasing in the eyes of Yahweh, —so Yahweh put him to death,

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

8 Then said Judah to Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law unto her, —and raise up seed, to thy 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 would not be his, —and so although he did go in unto his brother’s wife, yet made he waste upon the ground, so as not to 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 it was displeasing, in the eyes of Yahweh what he had done, —so he put, him also, to death,

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 in the house of thy father until Shelah my son grow up. For he said, Lest, he also, die, like his brethren. So Tamar went her way, and remained in the house of her father.

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 when the days were multiplied, then died Shua’s daughter, Judah’s wife, —and Judah consoled himself and went up unto his sheep shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, towards Timnah.

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, —Lo! thy father-in-law is going up towards Timnah, to the shearing of his sheep.

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

14 So she put off from her the garments of her widowhood and covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself up, and sat down in the entrance of, Enaim, which is by the way towards Timnah, —for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she, had not been given 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 And Judah, seeing her, reckoned her to be an unchaste woman, —for she had covered her face.

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

16 So he turned aside unto her. by the way, and said Grant it! 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, if thou shouldst 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 a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give a pledge until thou 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 is the pledge that I shall give thee? And She said—Thy signet-ring, and thy guard, and thy staff that is in thy hand. So he gave them to 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 Then she arose and went her way, and put off her veil 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 of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge at the hand of the woman, —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 So he asked the men of her place saying. Where is the devotee, she that was in Enaim, by the way? And they said, —There hath been here no devotee.

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 Then returned he unto Judah, and said—I found her not, —moreover also, the men of the place said, There hath been here no devotee.

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: Thou must take it to her, lest we become a contempt, —lo! I sent this kid, and, thou, hast 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 that about three months after, it was told Judah, saying—Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath been guilty of unchastity, moreover also lo! she hath conceived by unchastity. Then said Judah, 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 about to be brought forth, then, she herself, sent unto her father-in-law saying, By the man to whom these belong, have I, conceived! And she said—Examine, I pray thee, to whom belong the signet-ring, and the guard, and the staff—these!

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 So Judah examined them and said—More righteous than I! forasmuch, as I had not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew 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 at the time of her travail, that lo! 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 was in travail, that one put forth a hand, —so the midwife took and bound upon his hand a crimson thread, saying—This came 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 so it was that, no sooner had he withdrawn his hand, than lo! his brother had come. And she said, Wherefore hast thou made for thyself a breach? So his name was called 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 And afterwards, came his brother, on whose hand was the crimson thread, —so his name was called, Zerah.

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