Genesis 38

1 At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.

2 There, Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite man named Shua. He took her, and went in to her.

And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.

3 She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.

And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.

4 She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.

And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.

5 She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.

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

And Juda took a wife for Her his firstborn, whose name was Thamar.

7 Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight. So the LORD killed him.

And Her, the firstborn of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him.

8 Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”

Juda, therefore said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother’s wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother.

9 Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.

He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother’s wife, spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother’s name.

10 The thing which he did was evil in the LORD’s sight, and he killed him also.

And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;” for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter in law: Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way and dwelt in her father’s house.

12 After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.

And after many days were past, the daughter of Sue the wife of Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite the shepherd of his flock.

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

And it was told Thamar that her father in law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep.

14 She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife.

And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him.

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

When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known.

16 He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter in law. And she answered: What wilt thou give me to enjoy my company?

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?”

He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest,

18 He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.

Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge? She answered: Thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The woman therefore at one copulation conceived.

19 She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her.

And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her,

21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.”

Asked the men of that place: Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place,

22 He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”

He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; moreover the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there.

23 Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.”

Juda said: Let her take it to herself; surely she cannot charge us with a, lie: I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her.

24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

And behold after three months they told Juda, saying: Thamar, thy daughter in law hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. And Juda said: Bring her out that she may be burnt.

25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man who owns these.” She also said, “Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.”

But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.

26 Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.

But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However, he knew her no more.

27 In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.

And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying:

28 When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.”

This shall come forth the first.

29 As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.

But he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman said: Why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his name Phares.

30 Afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called him Zara.