Genesis 38

1 And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Judah goeth down from his brethren, and turneth aside unto a man, an Adullamite, whose name [is] Hirah;

And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2 and Judah seeth there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name [is] Shuah, and taketh her, and goeth in unto her.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.

3 And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er;

And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

4 and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan;

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

5 and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.

And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

6 And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name [is] Tamar;

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

7 and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death.

And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

8 And Judah saith to Onan, 'Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother;'

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

9 and Onan knoweth that the seed is not [reckoned] his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother's wife, that he hath destroyed [it] to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother;

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

10 and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death.

And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD: and he slew him also.

11 And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, 'Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, 'Lest he die — even he — like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at her father's house.

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown up: for he said, Lest he also die, like his brethren. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

12 And the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.

And in process of time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 And it is declared to Tamar, saying, 'Lo, thy husband's father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;'

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father in law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep.

14 and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which [is] by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife.

And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

15 And Judah seeth her, and reckoneth her for a harlot, for she hath covered her face,

When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; for she had covered her face.

16 and he turneth aside unto her by the way, and saith, 'Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee,' (for he hath not known that she [is] his daughter-in-law); and she saith, 'What dost thou give to me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter in law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

17 and he saith, 'I — I send a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she saith, 'Dost thou give a pledge till thou send [it]?'

And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

18 and he saith, 'What [is] the pledge that I give to thee?' and she saith, 'Thy seal, and thy ribbon, and thy staff which [is] in thy hand;' and he giveth to her, and goeth in unto her, and she conceiveth to him;

And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

19 and she riseth, and goeth, and turneth aside her vail from off her, and putteth on the garments of her widowhood.

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

20 And Judah sendeth the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he hath not found her.

And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.

21 And he asketh the men of her place, saying, 'Where [is] the separated one — she in Enayim, by the way?' and they say, 'There hath not been in this [place] a separated one.'

Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the way side? And they said, There hath been no harlot here.

22 And he turneth back unto Judah, and saith, 'I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There hath not been in this [place] a separated one,'

And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, There hath been no harlot here.

23 and Judah saith, 'Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.'

And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

24 And it cometh to pass about three months [after], that it is declared to Judah, saying, 'Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath committed fornication; and also, lo, she hath conceived by fornication:' and Judah saith, 'Bring her out — and she is burnt.'

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

25 She is brought out, and she hath sent unto her husband's father, saying, 'To a man whose these [are], I [am] pregnant;' and she saith, 'Discern, I pray thee, whose [are] these — the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.'

When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.

26 And Judah discerneth and saith, 'She hath been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to Shelah my son;' and he hath not added to know her again.

And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

27 And it cometh to pass in the time of her bearing, that lo, twins [are] in her womb;

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

28 and it cometh to pass in her bearing, that [one] giveth out a hand, and the midwife taketh and bindeth on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, 'This hath come out first.'

And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

29 And it cometh to pass as he draweth back his hand, that lo, his brother hath come out, and she saith, 'What! thou hast broken forth — on thee [is] the breach;' and he calleth his name Pharez;

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself? therefore his name was called Perez.

30 and afterwards hath his brother come out, on whose hand [is] the scarlet thread, and he calleth his name Zarah.

And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah.