בראשית 38

1 ויהי בעת ההוא וירד יהודה מאת אחיו ויט עד איש עדלמי ושמו חירה׃

And it came to pass at that time that Judas went down from his brethren, and came as far as to a certain man of Odollam, whose name was Iras.

2 וירא שם יהודה בת איש כנעני ושמו שוע ויקחה ויבא אליה׃

And Judas saw there the daughter of a Chananitish man, whose name was Sava; and he took her, and went in to her.

3 ותהר ותלד בן ויקרא את שמו ער׃

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

4 ותהר עוד ותלד בן ותקרא את שמו אונן׃

And she conceived and bore a son again; and called his name, Aunan.

5 ותסף עוד ותלד בן ותקרא את שמו שלה והיה בכזיב בלדתה אתו׃

And she again bore a son; and called his name, Selom: and she was in Chasbi when she bore them.

6 ויקח יהודה אשה לער בכורו ושמה תמר׃

And Judas took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Thamar.

7 ויהי ער בכור יהודה רע בעיני יהוה וימתהו יהוה׃

And Er, the first-born of Judas, was wicked before the Lord; and God killed him.

8 ויאמר יהודה לאונן בא אל אשת אחיך ויבם אתה והקם זרע לאחיך׃

And Judas said to Aunan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and marry her as her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy brother.

9 וידע אונן כי לא לו יהיה הזרע והיה אם בא אל אשת אחיו ושחת ארצה לבלתי נתן זרע לאחיו׃

And Aunan, knowing that the seed should not be his—it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] upon the ground, so that he should not give seed to his brother's wife.

10 וירע בעיני יהוה אשר עשה וימת גם אתו׃

And his doing this appeared evil before God; and he slew him also.

11 ויאמר יהודה לתמר כלתו שבי אלמנה בית אביך עד יגדל שלה בני כי אמר פן ימות גם הוא כאחיו ותלך תמר ותשב בית אביה׃

And Judas said to Thamar, his daughter-in-law, Sit thou a widow in the house of thy father-in-law, until Selom my son be grown; for he said, lest he also die as his brethren; and Thamar departed, and sat in the house of her father.

12 וירבו הימים ותמת בת שוע אשת יהודה וינחם יהודה ויעל על גזזי צאנו הוא וחירה רעהו העדלמי תמנתה׃

And the days were fulfilled, and Sava the wife of Judas died; and Judas, being comforted, went to them that sheared his sheep, himself and Iras his Shepherd the Odollamite, to Thamna.

13 ויגד לתמר לאמר הנה חמיך עלה תמנתה לגז צאנו׃

And it was told Thamar his daughter-in-law, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Thamna, to shear his sheep.

14 ותסר בגדי אלמנותה מעליה ותכס בצעיף ותתעלף ותשב בפתח עינים אשר על דרך תמנתה כי ראתה כי גדל שלה והוא לא נתנה לו לאשה׃

And having taken off the garments of her widowhood from her, she put on a veil, and ornamented her face, and sat by the gates of Aenan, which is in the way to Thamna, for she saw that Selom was grown; but he gave her not to him for a wife.

15 ויראה יהודה ויחשבה לזונה כי כסתה פניה׃

And when Judas saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she covered her face, and he knew her not.

16 ויט אליה אל הדרך ויאמר הבה נא אבוא אליך כי לא ידע כי כלתו הוא ותאמר מה תתן לי כי תבוא אלי׃

And he went out of his way to her, and said to her, Let me come in to thee; for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law; and she said, What wilt thou give me if thou shouldest come in to me?

17 ויאמר אנכי אשלח גדי עזים מן הצאן ותאמר אם תתן ערבון עד שלחך׃

And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from my flock; and she said, [Well], if thou wilt give me an earnest, until thou send it.

18 ויאמר מה הערבון אשר אתן לך ותאמר חתמך ופתילך ומטך אשר בידך ויתן לה ויבא אליה ותהר לו׃

And he said, What is the earnest that I shall give thee? and she said, Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and the staff in thy hand; and he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

19 ותקם ותלך ותסר צעיפה מעליה ותלבש בגדי אלמנותה׃

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

20 וישלח יהודה את גדי העזים ביד רעהו העדלמי לקחת הערבון מיד האשה ולא מצאה׃

And Judas sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his shepherd the Odollamite, to receive the pledge from the woman; and he found her not.

21 וישאל את אנשי מקמה לאמר איה הקדשה הוא בעינים על הדרך ויאמרו לא היתה בזה קדשה׃

And he asked the men of the place, Where is the harlot who was in Aenan by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot here.

22 וישב אל יהודה ויאמר לא מצאתיה וגם אנשי המקום אמרו לא היתה בזה קדשה׃

And he returned to Judas, and said, I have not found her; and the men of the place say, There is no harlot here.

23 ויאמר יהודה תקח לה פן נהיה לבוז הנה שלחתי הגדי הזה ואתה לא מצאתה׃

And Judas said, Let her have them, but let us not be ridiculed; I sent this kid, but thou hast not found her.

24 ויהי כמשלש חדשים ויגד ליהודה לאמר זנתה תמר כלתך וגם הנה הרה לזנונים ויאמר יהודה הוציאוה ותשרף׃

And it came to pass after three months, that it was told Judas, saying, Thamar thy daughter-in-law has grievously played the harlot, and behold she is with child by whoredom; and Judas said, Bring her out, and let her be burnt.

25 הוא מוצאת והיא שלחה אל חמיה לאמר לאיש אשר אלה לו אנכי הרה ותאמר הכר נא למי החתמת והפתילים והמטה האלה׃

And as they were bringing her, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man whose these things are; and she said, See whose is this ring and bracelet and staff.

26 ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני כי על כן לא נתתיה לשלה בני ולא יסף עוד לדעתה׃

And Judas knew [them], and said, Thamar is cleared rather than I, forasmuch as I gave her not to Selom my son: and he knew her not again.

27 ויהי בעת לדתה והנה תאומים בבטנה׃

And it came to pass when she was in labour, that she also had twins in her womb.

28 ויהי בלדתה ויתן יד ותקח המילדת ותקשר על ידו שני לאמר זה יצא ראשנה׃

And it came to pass as she was bringing forth, one thrust forth his hand, and the midwife having taken hold of it, bound upon his hand a scarlet [thread], saying, This one shall come out first.

29 ויהי כמשיב ידו והנה יצא אחיו ותאמר מה פרצת עליך פרץ ויקרא שמו פרץ׃

And when he drew back his hand, then immediately came forth his brother; and she said, Why has the barrier been cut through because of thee? and she called his name, Phares.

30 ואחר יצא אחיו אשר על ידו השני ויקרא שמו זרח׃

And after this came forth his brother, on whose hand was the scarlet thread; and she called his name, Zara.