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 Judah went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

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

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; 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 he called his name Er.

4 ותהר עוד ותלד בן ותקרא את שמו אונן׃

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

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

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

6 ויקח יהודה אשה לער בכורו ושמה תמר׃

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

7 ויהי ער בכור יהודה רע בעיני יהוה וימתהו יהוה׃

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

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

And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to your brother.

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

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

10 וירע בעיני יהוה אשר עשה וימת גם אתו׃

And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: why 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׃

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at your father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brothers did. And Tamar went and dwelled in her father’s house.

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

And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 ויגד לתמר לאמר הנה חמיך עלה תמנתה לגז צאנו׃

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold your father in law goes up to Timnath 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 she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him to wife.

15 ויראה יהודה ויחשבה לזונה כי כסתה פניה׃

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

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 turned to her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray you, let me come in to you; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What will you give me, that you may come in to me?

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

And he said, I will send you a kid from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge, till you 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 pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your signet, and your bracelets, and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave it her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.

19 ותקם ותלך ותסר צעיפה מעליה ותלבש בגדי אלמנותה׃

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her veil from 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 Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.

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

Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

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

And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

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

And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and you have 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 about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter in law has played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by prostitution. And Judah said, Bring her forth, 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׃

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 you, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

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

And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She has been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

27 ויהי בעת לדתה והנה תאומים בבטנה׃

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

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

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

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

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How have you broken forth? this breach be on you: therefore his name was called Pharez.

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

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