Genesis 38

1 It came about at that time that Judah left his brothers and stayed with a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

Now at that time, Judah went away from his brothers and became the friend of a man of Adullam named Hirah.

2 He met there a daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua. He married her and slept with her.

And there he saw the daughter of a certain man of Canaan named Shua, and took her as his wife.

3 She became pregnant and had a son. He was named Er.

And she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Er.

4 She became pregnant again and had a son. She called his name Onan.

And again she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Onan.

5 She again had a son and called his name Shelah. It was at Kezib where she gave birth to him.

Then she had another son, to whom she gave the name Shelah; she was at Chezib when the birth took place.

6 Judah found a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar.

And Judah took a wife for his first son Er, and her name was Tamar.

7 Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him.

Now Er, Judah's first son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death.

8 Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother's wife. Do the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a child for your brother.”

Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and do what it is right for a husband's brother to do; make her your wife and get offspring for your brother.

9 Onan knew that the child would not be his. Whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground so he would not have a child for his brother.

But Onan, seeing that the offspring would not be his, went in to his brother's wife, but let his seed go on to the earth, so that he might not get offspring for his brother.

10 What he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him also.

And what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death, like his brother.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father's house until Shelah, my son, grows up.” For he feared, “He might also die, just like his brothers.” Tamar left and lived in her father's house.

Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Go back to your father's house and keep yourself as a widow till my son Shelah becomes a man: for he had in his mind the thought that death might come to him as it had come to his brothers. So Tamar went back to her father's house.

12 After a long time, Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

And after a time, Bath-shua, Judah's wife, came to her end; and after Judah was comforted for her loss, he went to Timnah, where they were cutting the wool of his sheep, and his friend Hirah of Adullam went with him.

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

And when Tamar had news that her father-in-law was going up to Timnah to the wool-cutting,

14 She took off the clothing of her widowhood and covered herself with her veil and wrapped herself. She sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up but she had not been given to him as a wife.

She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.

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

When Judah saw her he took her to be a loose woman of the town, because her face was covered.

16 He went to her by the road and said, “Come, please let me sleep with you”—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law—and she said, “What will you give me so you can sleep with me?”

And turning to her by the roadside, he said to her, Let me come in to you; for he had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me as my price?

17 He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”

And he said, I will give you a young goat from the flock. And she said, What will you give me as a sign till you send it?

18 He said, “What pledge can I give you?” She replied, “Your seal and cord, and the staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

And he said, What would you have? And she said, Your ring and its cord and the stick in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became with child by him.

19 She got up and went away. She took off her veil and put on the clothing of her widowhood.

Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.

20 Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order that he might receive the pledge back from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.

Then Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat, to get back the things which he had given as a sign to the woman: but she was not there.

21 Then the Adullamite asked the men of the place, “Where is the cultic prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has not been a cultic prostitute here.”

And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.

22 He returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her. Also, the men of the place said, 'There has not been a cultic prostitute here.'”

So he went back to Judah, and said, I have not seen her, and the men of the place say that there is no such woman there.

23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things, that we not be put to shame. Indeed, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

And Judah said, Let her keep the things, so that we may not be shamed; I sent the young goat, but you did not see the woman.

24 It came about after about three months that it was told to Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed prostitution, and indeed, she is pregnant by it.” Judah said, “Bring her here and let her be burned.”

Now about three months after this, word came to Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had been acting like a loose woman and was with child. And Judah said, Take her out and let her be burned.

25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law a message, “By the man who owns these I am pregnant.” She said, “Determine please whose these are, the seal and cords and staff.”

And while she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, The man whose property these things are, is the father of my child: say then, whose are this ring and this cord and this stick?

26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I am, since I did not give her as a wife to Shelah, my son.” He did not sleep with her again.

Then Judah said openly that they were his, and said, She is more upright than I am, for I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he had no more connection with her.

27 It came about at the time for her to give birth that, behold, twins were in her womb.

And when the time came for her to give birth, it was clear that there were two children in her body.

28 It came about as she was giving birth one put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand and said, “This one came out first.”

And while she was in the act of giving birth, one of them put out his hand; and the woman who was with her put a red thread round his hand, saying, This one came out first.

29 But then he drew back his hand, and, behold, his brother came out first. The midwife said, “How you have broken out!” So he was named Perez.

But then he took his hand back again, and his brother came first to birth: and the woman said, What an opening you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez.

30 Then his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread upon his hand, and he was named Zerah.

And then his brother came out, with the red thread round his hand, and he was named Zerah.