Genèse 38

1 II arriva, en ce temps là, que Juda s’éloigna de ses frères et s’achemina vers un habitant d’Adoullam, nommé Hira.

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

2 Là, Juda vit la fille d’un Cananéen, appelé Choua; il l’épousa et s’approcha d’elle.

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

3 Elle conçut et enfanta un fils, à qui il donna le nom d’Ér.

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

4 Elle conçut encore et eut un fils et elle lui donna le nom d’Onàn.

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

5 De nouveau elle enfanta un fils et elle le nomma Chéla. II était à Kezib lorsqu’elle l’enfanta.

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

6 Juda choisit une épouse à Ér, son premier né; elle se nommait Thamar.

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

7 Ér, le premier né de Juda, ayant déplu au Seigneur, le Seigneur le fit mourir.

And it came to pass that Er, Judah’s firstborn was displeasing in the eyes of Yahweh, —so Yahweh put him to death,

8 Alors Juda dit à Onàn: "Épouse la femme de ton frère en vertu du lévirat, afin de constituer une postérité à ton frère."

Then said Judah to Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law unto her, —and raise up seed, to thy brother.

9 Onân comprit que cette postérité ne serait pas la sienne; et alors, chaque fois qu’il approchait de la femme de son frère, il corrompait sa voie, afin de ne pas donner de postérité à son frère.

And Onan knew that the seed would not be his, —and so although he did go in unto his brother’s wife, yet made he waste upon the ground, so as not to give seed to his brother.

10 Sa conduite déplut au Seigneur, qui le fit mourir de même.

And it was displeasing, in the eyes of Yahweh what he had done, —so he put, him also, to death,

11 Et Juda dit à Thamar, sa belle fille: "Demeure veuve dans la maison de ton père, jusqu’à ce que mon fils Chéla soit plus grand," car il craignait qu’il ne meure, lui aussi, comme ses frères. Et Thamar s’en alla demeurer dans la maison de son père.

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law—Remain a widow in the house of thy father until Shelah my son grow up. For he said, Lest, he also, die, like his brethren. So Tamar went her way, and remained in the house of her father.

12 Longtemps après mourut la fille de Choua, femme de Juda. Quand Juda se fut consolé, il alla surveiller la tonte de ses brebis, avec Hira son ami l’Adoullamite, à Timna.

And when the days were multiplied, then died Shua’s daughter, Judah’s wife, —and Judah consoled himself and went up unto his sheep shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, towards Timnah.

13 On informa Thamar en ces termes: "Ton beau père monte en ce moment à Timna pour tondre ses brebis."

And it was told Tamar saying, —Lo! thy father-in-law is going up towards Timnah, to the shearing of his sheep.

14 Elle quitta ses vêtements de veuve, prit un voile et s’en couvrit; et elle s’assit au carrefour des Deux Sources, qui est sur le chemin de Timna. Car elle voyait que Chéla avait grandi et qu’elle ne lui avait pas été donnée pour épouse.

So she put off from her the garments of her widowhood and covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself up, and sat down in the entrance of, Enaim, which is by the way towards Timnah, —for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she, had not been given him to wife.

15 Juda, l’ayant aperçue, la prit pour une prostituée; car elle avait voilé son visage.

And Judah, seeing her, reckoned her to be an unchaste woman, —for she had covered her face.

16 II se dirigea de son côté et lui dit: "Laisse moi te posséder." Car il ignorait que ce fût sa belle fille. Elle répondit: "Que me donneras-tu pour me posséder?"

So he turned aside unto her. by the way, and said Grant it! 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, if thou shouldst come in unto me?

17 II répliqua: "Je t’enverrai un chevreau de mon troupeau." Et elle dit: "Bien, si tu me donnes un gage en attendant cet envoi."

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

18 II reprit: "Quel gage te donnerai-je?" Elle répondit: "Ton sceau, ton cordon et le bâton que tu as à la main." II les lui donna, il approcha d’elle et elle conçut de son fait.

And he said—What is the pledge that I shall give thee? And She said—Thy signet-ring, and thy guard, and thy staff that is in thy hand. So he gave them to her and came in unto her and she conceived by him.

19 Elle se leva et partit; elle quitta son voile et reprit les vêtements de son veuvage.

Then she arose and went her way, and put off her veil from her, —and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 Juda envoya le chevreau par l’entremise de son ami l’Adoullamite, pour retirer le gage des mains de cette femme; il ne la trouva point.

And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge at the hand of the woman, —but he found her not.

21 II questionna les gens de l’endroit, disant: "Où est la prostituée qui se tient aux Deux Sources, sur le chemin?" Ils répondirent: "II n’y a point de prostituée ici."

So he asked the men of her place saying. Where is the devotee, she that was in Enaim, by the way? And they said, —There hath been here no devotee.

22 II retourna auprès de Juda et dit: "Je ne l’ai pas trouvée; et même les habitants de l’endroit ont dit qu’il n’y avait point là de prostituée."

Then returned he unto Judah, and said—I found her not, —moreover also, the men of the place said, There hath been here no devotee.

23 Et Juda dit: "Qu’elle garde ce qu’elle a et que nous n’ayons pas à rougir; car enfin, j’ai envoyé ce chevreau et tu n’as pu la trouver."

And Judah said: Thou must take it to her, lest we become a contempt, —lo! I sent this kid, and, thou, hast not found her.

24 Or, environ trois mois après, on informa Juda, en disant: "Thamar, ta bru, s’est prostituée et elle porte dans son sein le fruit de la débauche." Juda répondit: "Emmenez la et qu’elle soit brûlée!"

And it came to pass that about three months after, it was told Judah, saying—Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath been guilty of unchastity, moreover also lo! she hath conceived by unchastity. Then said Judah, Bring her forth and let her be burnt.

25 Comme on l’emmenait, elle envoya dire à son beau père: "Je suis enceinte du fait de l’homme à qui ces choses appartiennent." Et elle dit: "Examine, je te prie, à qui appartiennent ce sceau, ces cordons et ce bâton."

When, she, was about to be brought forth, then, she herself, sent unto her father-in-law saying, By the man to whom these belong, have I, conceived! And she said—Examine, I pray thee, to whom belong the signet-ring, and the guard, and the staff—these!

26 Juda les reconnut et dit: "Elle est plus juste que moi, car il est vrai que je ne l’ai point donnée à Chéla mon fils." Cependant il cessa, dès lors, de la connaître.

So Judah examined them and said—More righteous than I! forasmuch, as I had not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

27 Or il se trouva, lors de son enfantement, qu’elle portait des jumeaux dans son sein.

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

28 Au moment de sa délivrance, l’un d’eux avança la main; la sage femme la saisit et y attacha un fil d’écarlate, pour indiquer que celui ci était né le premier.

And it came to pass when she was in travail, that one put forth a hand, —so the midwife took and bound upon his hand a crimson thread, saying—This came first!

29 Comme il retirait sa main, voici que son frère vint au monde. Elle dit: "Avec quelle violence tu te fais jour!" Et on lui donna le nom de Péreç.

And so it was that, no sooner had he withdrawn his hand, than lo! his brother had come. And she said, Wherefore hast thou made for thyself a breach? So his name was called Perez.

30 Ensuite naquit son frère, dont la main portait le fil d’écarlate. On lui donna le nom de Zérah.

And afterwards, came his brother, on whose hand was the crimson thread, —so his name was called, Zerah.