Genesis 38
1 Yn the same tyme Judas yede doun fro his britheren, and turnede to a man of Odolla, Hiram bi name;
At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.
2 and he siy ther a douytir of a man of Canaan, Sue bi name. And whanne he hadde takun hir to wijf,
And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.
3 he entride to hir, and sche conseyuede, and childide a sone, and clepide his name Her.
And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.
4 And eft whanne a child was conseyued, sche nemyde the child borun Onam.
And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.
5 And sche childide the thridde sone, whom sche clepide Cela, and whanne he was borun, sche ceesside to bere child more.
She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.
6 Forsothe Judas yaf a wijf, `Thamar bi name, to his firste gendrid sone Her.
And Juda took a wife for Her his firstborn, whose name was Thamar.
7 And Her, the firste gendrid sone of Judas, was weiward in the siyt of the Lord, and therfor he was slayn of the Lord.
And Her, the firstborn of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him.
8 Therfor Judas seide to Onam, his sone, Entre thou to the wijf of thi brothir, and be thou felouschipid to hir, that thou reise seed to thi brothir.
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 And he wiste that sones schulden not be borun to him, `and he entride to the wijf of his brother, and schedde seed in to the erthe, lest the fre children schulden be borun bi the name of the 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 and therfor the Lord smoot hym, for he dide abhomynable thing.
And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing.
11 Wherfor Judas seide to Thamar, `wijf of his sone, Be thou widewe in the hous of thi fadir, til Sela my sone wexe, for he dredde lest also he schulde die as hise britheren. And sche yede, and dwellide in the hous of hir fadir.
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 Forsothe whanne many yeeris weren passid, the douyter of Sue, `the wijf of Juda, diede, and whanne coumfort was takun aftir morenyng, he stiede to the schereris of hise scheep, he and Iras of Odolla, that was kepere of the floc, stieden in to Thampnas.
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 And it was teld to Thamar, that `the fadir of hir hosebonde stiede to Thampnas, to schere scheep.
And it was told Thamar that her father in law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep.
14 And sche dide awei the clothis of widewehod, and sche took a roket, and whanne the clothinge was chaungid, sche sat in the weilot that ledith to Tampna; for Sela hadde woxe, and sche hadde not take hym to hosebonde.
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 And whanne Judas hadde seyn hir, he supposide hir to be an hoore, for sche hadde hilid hir face, lest sche were knowun.
When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known.
16 And Judas entride to hir, and seide, Suffre me that Y ligge with thee; for he wiste not that sche was the wijf of his sone. And whanne sche answeride, What schalt thou yyue to me, that thou ligge bi 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 seide, Y schal sende to thee a kide of the flockis. And eft whanne sche seide, Y schal suffre that that thou wolt, if thou schalt yyue to me a wed, til thou sendist that that thou bihetist.
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 Judas seide, What wolt thou that be youun to thee for a wed? She answeride, Thi ryng, and thi bie of the arm, and the staaf which thou holdist in the hond. Therfor the womman conseyuide at o liggyng bi, and sche roos, and yede;
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 and whanne the clooth was `put awei which sche hadde take, sche was clothid in the clothis of widewhod.
And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 Forsothe Judas sente a kide bi his scheepherde of Odolla, that he schulde resseyue the wed which he hadde youe to the womman; and whanne he hadde not founde hir,
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 he axide men of that place, Where is the womman that sat in the weie lot? And whanne alle men answeriden, An hoore was not in this place; he turnede ayen to Judas,
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 and seide to hym, Y foond not hir, but also men of that place seiden to me, that an hoore sat neuere there.
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 Judas seide, Haue sche to hir silf, certis sche may not repreue vs of a leesyng; Y sente the kyde which Y bihiyte, and thou foundist not hir.
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 Lo! sotheli aftir thre monethis thei telden to Judas, and seiden, Thamar, `wijf of thi sone, hath do fornycacioun, and hir womb semeth to wexe greet. Judas seide, Brynge ye hir forth, that sche be brent.
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 And whanne sche was led to peyne, sche sente to `the fadir of hir hosebonde, and seide, Y haue conseyued of the man, whose these thingis ben; knowe thou whose is the ryng, and bie of the arm, and staf?
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 And whanne the yiftis weren knowun, he seide, Sche is more iust than Y, for Y yaf not hir to Sela, my sone; netheles Judas knewe hir no more fleischli.
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 Sotheli whanne the childberyng neiyede, twei chyldren apperiden in the wombe, and in that birthe of children, oon brouyte forth the hond, in which the mydwijf boond a reed threed,
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 and seide, This schal go out `the formere.
This shall come forth the first.
29 Sotheli while he withdrowe the hond, the tother yede out, and the womman seide, Whi was the skyn in which the child lay in the wombe departid for thee? And for this cause sche clepide his name Fares.
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 brothir yede out, in whos hond was the reed threed, whom sche clepide Zaram.
Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called him Zara.
