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].
Kwasekusithi ngalesosikhathi uJuda wehla esuka kubafowabo, waphambukela endodeni yeAdulamu, obizo layo linguHira.
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,
UJuda wasebona lapho indodakazi yendoda umKhanani, obizo lakhe linguShuwa; wayithatha wangena kuyo.
3 and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
Yasithatha isisu, yazala indodana; waseyitha ibizo layo uEri.
4 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
Yasiphinda ithatha isisu, yazala indodana; yayitha ibizo layo uOnani.
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.
Yasisengezelela futhi yazala indodana, yayitha ibizo layo uShela; kodwa wayeseKezibi ekuyizaleni kwayo.
6 When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
UJuda wasemthathela uEri izibulo lakhe umfazi, njalo ibizo lakhe linguTamari.
7 But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
Kodwa uEri, izibulo likaJuda, wayemubi emehlweni eNkosi; iNkosi yasimbulala.
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.”
UJuda wasesithi kuOnani: Ngena kumkamfowenu, wenze kuye imfanelo yomfowabo wendoda, umvusele umfowenu inzalo.
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.
UOnani wayesazi-ke ukuthi inzalo kayiyikuba ngeyakhe. Kwasekusithi lapho engena kumkamfowabo, wayichithela emhlabathini, ukuze angamniki umfowabo inzalo.
10 Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
Kwasekusiba kubi emehlweni eNkosi lokho akwenzayo; ngakho yambulala laye.
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.
UJuda wasesithi kuTamari umalokazana wakhe: Hlala ungumfelokazi endlini kayihlo, aze akhule uShela indodana yami; ngoba wathi: Hlezi laye afe njengabafowabo. UTamari wasehamba wahlala endlini kayise.
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.
Emva kwensuku ezinengi yafa indodakazi kaShuwa, umkaJuda. UJuda eseziduduzile, wenyukela kubagundi bezimvu zakhe eThiminathi, yena lomngane wakhe uHira umAdulamu.
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.”
Kwasekusaziswa kuTamari ukuthi: Khangela, uyihlozala wenyukela eThiminathi ukugunda izimvu zakhe.
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.
Wasekhulula izembatho zobufelokazi bakhe, wazimbomboza ngesimbombozo, wazigoqela, wahlala esangweni iEnayima, elisendleleni eya eThiminathi; ngoba wabona ukuthi uShela wayesekhulile, njalo wayengamnikwanga ukuba ngumkakhe.
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)].
Lapho uJuda esembonile, wacabanga ukuthi uliwule, ngoba embomboze ubuso bakhe.
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?”
Wasephambukela kuye endleleni wathi: Woza-ke, ngingene kuwe; ngoba wayengazi ukuthi ngumalokazana wakhe. Wasesithi: Uzanginikani ukuze ungene kimi?
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?”
Wasesithi: Mina ngizathumela izinyane lembuzi elivela emhlanjini. Wasesithi: Uzanginika isibambiso uze ulithumele yini?
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.
Wasesithi: Sibambiso bani engizakunika sona? Wasesithi: Indandatho elophawu lwakho, lentambo yakho, lodondolo lwakho olusesandleni sakho. Wasemupha, wangena kuye; wasethatha isisu sakhe.
19 After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
Wasesukuma wahamba, wakhulula isimbombozo sakhe, wafaka izembatho zobufelokazi bakhe.
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.
UJuda wasethumela izinyane lembuzi ngesandla somngane wakhe umAdulamu ukuze athathe isibambiso esandleni sowesifazana; kodwa kamtholanga.
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!”
Wasebuza amadoda endawo yakowesifazana esithi: Lingaphi iwule elaliseEnayima endleleni? Asesithi: Kakuzanga kube khona iwule lapha.
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.’”
Wasebuyela kuJuda wathi: Kangilitholanga, futhi lamadoda endawo athi: Kakuzanga kube khona iwule lapha.
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.”
UJuda wasesithi: Kalizithathele, hlezi sideleleke; khangela, ngithumele lelizinyane, kodwa wena kawumtholanga.
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!”
Kwasekusithi phose emva kwenyanga ezintathu kwaziswa kuJuda ukuthi: UTamari umalokazana wakhe ufebile, futhi khangela-ke, ulesisu sokufetshwa. UJuda wasesithi: Mkhupheni atshiswe.
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?”
Esekhutshiwe, yena wathumela kuyisezala, esithi: Ngoniwe yindoda engumnini walezizinto. Wathi futhi: Ake uhlolisise ukuthi ngezikabani lezizinto, indandatho elophawu lezintambo lodondolo.
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.
UJuda wasezivuma wathi: Ulungile kulami, ngakho njengoba ngingamnikanga uShela indodana yami. Njalo kabanga esamazi futhi.
27 When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
Kwasekusithi esikhathini sokubeletha kwakhe, khangela-ke, amaphahla ayesesiswini sakhe.
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.”
Kwasekusithi ekubeletheni kwakhe, elinye lakhupha isandla; umbelethisi wasithatha, wabopha intambo ebomvu esandleni salo, esithi: Lo uzaphuma kuqala.
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].’
Kodwa kwathi lifinyeza isandla salo, khangela-ke umfowabo waphuma; wasesithi: Ufohle njani? Ukufohla kakube phezu kwakho. Wasemutha ibizo lakhe uPerezi.
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].’
Emva kwalokhu kwasekuphuma umfowabo owayelentambo ebomvu esandleni sakhe; wasemutha ibizo lakhe uZera.
