< Genesis 38 >

1 At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].
Eodem tempore descendens Iudas a fratribus suis, divertit ad Virum Odollamitem, nomine Hiram.
2 There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,
Viditque ibi filiam hominis Chananaei, vocabulo Sue: et accepta uxore, ingressus est ad eam.
3 and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
Quae concepit, et peperit filium, et vocavit nomen eius Her.
4 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
Rursumque concepto foetu, natum filium vocavit Onan.
5 Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.
Tertium quoque peperit: quem appellavit Sela. quo nato, parere ultra cessavit.
6 When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
Dedit autem Iudas uxorem primogenito suo Her, nomine Thamar.
7 But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
Fuit quoque Her primogenitus Iudae, nequam in conspectu Domini: et ab eo occisus est.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”
Dixit ergo Iudas ad Onan filium suum: Ingredere uxorem fratris tui, et sociare illi, ut suscites semen fratri tuo.
9 But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
Ille sciens non sibi nasci filios, introiens ad uxorem fratris sui, semen fundebat in terram, ne liberi fratris nomine nascerentur.
10 Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
Et idcirco percussit eum Dominus, eo quod rem detestabilem faceret.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.
Quam ob rem dixit Iudas Thamar nurui suae: Esto vidua in domo patris tui, donec crescat Sela filius meus: timebat enim ne et ipse moreretur, sicut fratres eius. Quae abiit, et habitavit in domo patris sui.
12 Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
Evolutis autem multis diebus, mortua est Sue uxor Iudae: qui post luctum consolatione suscepta, ascendebat ad tonsores ovium suarum, ipse et Hiras opilio gregis Odollamites, in Thamnas.
13 Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep.”
Nunciatumque est Thamar quod socer illius ascenderet in Thamnas ad tondendas oves.
14 [She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.
Quae, depositis viduitatis vestibus, assumpsit theristrum: et mutato habitu, sedit in bivio itineris, quod ducit Thamnam: eo quod crevisset Sela, et non eum accepisset maritum.
15 When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].
Quam cum vidisset Iudas, suspicatus est esse meretricem: operuerat enim vultum suum, ne agnosceretur.
16 Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”
Ingrediensque ad eam, ait: Dimitte me ut coeam tecum: nesciebat enim quod nurus sua esset. Qua respondente: Quid dabis mihi ut fruaris concubitu meo?
17 He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”
dixit: Mittam tibi hoedum de gregibus. Rursumque illa dicente: Patiar quod vis, si dederis mihi arrhabonem, donec mittas quod polliceris.
18 He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.
Ait Iudas: Quid tibi vis pro arrhabone dari? Respondit: Annulum tuum, et armillam, et baculum quem manu tenes. Ad unum igitur coitum mulier concepit,
19 After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
et surgens abiit: depositoque habitu, quem sumpserat, induta est viduitatis vestibus.
20 Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
Misit autem Iudas hoedum per pastorem suum Odollamitem, ut reciperet pignus quod dederat mulieri: qui cum non invenisset eam,
21 So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”
interrogavit homines loci illius: Ubi est mulier quae sedebat in bivio? Respondentibus cunctis: Non fuit in loco ista meretrix.
22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
Reversus est ad Iudam, et dixit ei: Non inveni eam: sed et homines loci illius dixerunt mihi, numquam sedisse ibi scortum.
23 Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her.”
Ait Iudas: Habeat sibi, certe mendacii arguere nos non potest, ego misi hoedum quem promiseram: et tu non invenisti eam.
24 About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”
Ecce autem post tres menses nunciaverunt Iudae, dicentes: Fornicata est Thamar nurus tua, et videtur uterus illius intumescere. Dixitque Iudas: Producite eam ut comburatur.
25 But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”
Quae cum duceretur ad poenam, misit ad socerum suum, dicens: De viro, cuius haec sunt, concepi: cognosce cuius sit annulus, et armilla, et baculus.
26 When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.
Qui, agnitis muneribus, ait: Iustior me est: quia non tradidi eam Sela filio meo. Attamen ultra non cognovit eam.
27 When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
Instante autem partu, apparuerunt gemini in utero: atque in ipsa effusione infantium unus protulit manum, in qua obstetrix ligavit coccinum, dicens:
28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”
Iste egredietur prior.
29 But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’
Illo vero retrahente manum, egressus est alter: dixitque mulier: Quare divisa est propter te maceria? et ob hanc causam vocavit nomen eius Phares.
30 Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’
Postea egressus est frater eius, in cuius manu erat coccinum: quem appellavit Zara.

< Genesis 38 >