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.

Around this time, Judah left his brothers and set up his tents at Adullam, near to a local man named Hirah.

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 happened to see the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua and married her. He slept with her,

3 and she conceived and bare a son, —and he called his name Er.

and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.

4 And she conceived again and bare a son, —and she called his name Onan.

She became pregnant again and had a son she named 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 had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.

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

Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named 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 did what was evil in the Lord's sight, 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.

Judah told Onan, “Go and sleep with your brother's wife to fulfill the requirements of a brother-in-law to have children on behalf of 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.

Onan realized that any children he had wouldn't be his own, so whenever he slept with his brother's wife he made sure she wouldn't become pregnant by withdrawing and spilling his semen on the ground. In this way he prevented any children being born on behalf of his brother.

10 And it was displeasing, in the eyes of Yahweh what he had done, —so he put, him also, to death,

But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.

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 told his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Go to your father's house and live there as a widow until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “Maybe he'll die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went and stayed 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.

A long time later Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah had finished the time of mourning, he went to visit his sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah from Adullam.

13 And it was told Tamar saying, —Lo! thy father-in-law is going up towards Timnah, to the shearing of his sheep.

Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going 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.

So she took off her widow's clothes and covered herself with a veil, disguising herself. She sat down beside the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. She had realized that even though Shelah had now grown up, nothing had been done about her marrying him.

15 And Judah, seeing her, reckoned her to be an unchaste woman, —for she had covered her face.

Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled 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?

He went over to her at the side of the road and said, “I want to sleep with you.” He didn't know she was his daughter-in-law. “What will you give me if I let you sleep with me?” she asked.

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'll send you a young goat from my flock,” he replied. “What guarantee will you give me to make sure you'll send it?” she asked.

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 guarantee do I have to give you?” he asked. “Your signet seal and its cord, and your walking stick that you're holding,” she replied. He handed them over to her. He slept with her and she became pregnant.

19 Then she arose and went her way, and put off her veil from her, —and put on the garments of her widowhood.

She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.

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.

Judah sent his friend Hirah from Adullam with a young goat to get back his belongings he'd left as a guarantee from the woman, but he couldn't 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.

Hirah asked the men there, “Where's the cult prostitute that sits by the entrance road to Enaim?” “There's no cult prostitute 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.

Hirah went back to Judah and told him, “I couldn't find her, and the men there said, ‘There's no cult prostitute 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 what I gave her,” Judah replied. “We'll look ridiculous to people if we go on searching. In any case I did try to send her the young goat as promised but you couldn't 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.

Then about three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has had sex like a prostitute and now as a result she's pregnant!” “Bring her out and burn her to death!” Judah ordered.

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 brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, saying, “I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things.” Then she added, “Please look carefully at this signet seal and its cord and walking stick. Who do they belong to?”

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 them right away and said, “She has honored the law more than I have, because I didn't give her in marriage to my son Shelah.” He didn't sleep with Tamar 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, she was found to be carrying twins.

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!

One baby put out his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”

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 then he pulled back his hand and his brother was born, she said, “How did you burst out?” 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 with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born. He was named Zerah.