Jenesis 38
1 Nʼoge ahụ, Juda hapụrụ ụmụnne ya gaa binyere otu nwoke onye Adulam a na-akpọ Hira.
At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].
2 Nʼebe ahụ, Juda hụrụ otu nwaagbọghọ, nwa otu nwoke onye Kenan, aha ya bụ Shua. Ọ lụrụ ya ma bakwuru ya.
There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,
3 Ọ tụụrụ ime mụọ nwa nwoke, onye Juda gụrụ aha Ịa
and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
4 Nwunye ya dịkwara ime ọzọ mụta nwa nwoke nke ya bụ nwunye ya gụrụ Onan.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
5 Ọ mụkwara nwa nwoke ọzọ, onye ọ kpọrọ Shela. Ọ bụ na Kezib ka ọ mụrụ ya.
Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.
6 Juda lụtaara Ịa, ọkpara ya, nwunye onye aha ya bụ Tama.
When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
7 Ma nʼihi na Ịa, ọkpara Juda, dị njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị. Onyenwe anyị gburu ya.
But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
8 Mgbe ahụ, Juda sịrị Onan, “Bakwuru nwunye nwanne gị ka ịkuchie ya, ka i si otu a wulite mkpụrụ maka nwanne gị.”
Then Judah said to Onan, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”
9 Onan ma na mkpụrụ a agaghị abụ nke ya. Nʼihi ya, mgbe ọbụla ọ bakwuru nwunye nwanne ya, ọ na-anyụsa mkpụrụ nwa ya nʼala, ime ka ọ ghara inye nwanne ya nwoke nwa.
But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
10 Ma ihe a o mere jọrọ njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị. Nʼihi ya Onyenwe anyị gbukwara ya.
Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
11 Juda sịrị nwunye nwa ya, bụ Tama, “Laa nʼụlọ nna gị nọrọ dịka nwanyị di ya nwụrụ tutu Shela nwa m nwoke etoo.” Ma echiche ya bụ, “ka ọ ghara ịnwụ dịka ụmụnne ya.” Tama lara gaa biri nʼụlọ nna ya.
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.
12 Mgbe ọtụtụ oge gasịrị, nwunye Juda nwa Shua nwụrụ. Mgbe oge nkasiobi ya gasịrị, Juda jere Timna, ya na enyi ya Hira, onye Adulam, ilekọta ndị na-akpụchapụ igwe ewu na atụrụ ya ajị.
Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
13 A gwara Tama sị ya, “Nna di gị na-aga Timna ịkpacha atụrụ ya ajị.”
Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep.”
14 O yipụrụ uwe mkpe ya, were akwa mkpuchi kpuchie onwe ya gaa nọdụ ala nʼọnụ ụzọ ama Enayim, nke dị nʼụzọ e si aga Timna. O mere otu a nʼihi na ọ matara na Shela etoola, ma enyeghị ya ka ọ bụrụ nwunye ya.
[She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.
15 Mgbe Juda hụrụ ya, o chere na ọ bụ otu nwanyị akwụna, ebe ọ bụ na o kpuchiri ihu ya.
When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].
16 Ma ebe ọ mataghị na ọ bụ nwunye nwa ya, o jekwuru ya ebe ọ nọdụrụ ala nʼakụkụ ụzọ sị ya, “Bịa, kwere ka mụ na gị dinaa.” Tama jụrụ, “Gịnị ka ị ga-enye m ma ọ bụrụ na m kwere ka mụ na gị dinaa?”
Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”
17 Ọ zara, “Aga m ezitere gị otu nwa ewu site nʼigwe ewu na atụrụ m.” Ọ jụrụ, “Ị ga-enye m ihe akaebe ruo mgbe ị ga-ezite ya?”
He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”
18 Ọ sịrị, “Kedụ ihe akaebe m ga-enye gị?” Ọ zara, “Mgbaaka akara gị na eriri ya, na mkpanaka dị gị nʼaka.” O nyere ya ihe ndị a. Ọ bakwuru ya nke mere na ọ tụụrụ ime.
He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.
19 Mgbe o si nʼebe ahụ pụọ, o yipụrụ akwa ahụ o ji kpuchie ihu ya, yirikwa uwe mkpe ya.
After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
20 Mgbe Juda zigara enyi ya onye Adulam ka ọ gaa wegara ya nwa ewu ahụ, ma nataghachi ihe ibe ahụ, ọ hụghị ya.
Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
21 Ọ jụrụ ndị ikom bi nʼebe ahụ sị, “Olee nwanyị akwụna ụlọ arụsị ahụ na-anọdụ nʼọnụ ụzọ ama Enayim?” Ha sịrị, “O nweghị nwanyị akwụna ụlọ arụsị nọrọla nʼebe a.”
So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”
22 Ya mere, ọ laghachiri gaa gwa Juda, “Ahụghị m ya. Ọzọkwa, ndị ikom ndị bi nʼebe ahụ sịrị, ‘O nweghị nwanyị akwụna ụlọ arụsị nọrọla nʼebe a.’”
So he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
23 Juda zara, “Ka o jide ihe niile o ji, ma ọ bụghị otu a anyị ga-aghọ ihe ọchị. Lee, ezigarala m ya nwa ewu a, ma gị onwe gị achọtaghị ya.”
Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her.”
24 Mgbe ọnwa atọ gasịrị, ozi ruru Juda ntị sị, “Tama nwunye nwa gị gbara akwụna, bịa site nʼịgba akwụna dịrị ime.” Juda sịrị, “Kpọpụtanụ ya ka akpọọ ya ọkụ.”
About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”
25 Ma mgbe ha kpọ ya na-apụta, o zigara nna di ya ozi, sị, “Ọ bụ nwoke nwee ihe ndị a tụwara m ime. Ọ sịkwara, Leruo anya ma ị ga-amata onye nwe ihe ndị a: mgbaaka akara a na eriri ya, na mkpanaka a.”
But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”
26 Juda ghọtara ha, sị, “Ọ bụ onye ezi omume karịa m, ebe ọ bụ na m jụrụ ịkpọrọ ya kpọnye nwa m nwoke Shela ka ọ bụrụ nwunye ya.” O dinakwaghị ya ọzọ.
When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.
27 Mgbe oge ọmụmụ nwa ya ruru, ejima ka ahụrụ nʼakpanwa ya.
When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
28 Mgbe ọ na-amụ ha, otu nʼime ha sepụtara aka ya. Nwanyị na-aghọ nwa weere eriri na-acha uhie uhie kee ya na nkwoji aka kwuo sị, “Ọ bụ nke a bụ ụzọ pụta.”
As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 Ma nwa ahụ mesịrị sekpuo aka ya, nwanne ya nke ọzọ eburu ya ụzọ pụta. Nwanyị ahụ sịrị, “Ọ bụ otu a ka ị si tikapụta?” A kpọrọ ya Perez.
But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’
30 Emesịa, nwanne ya, nke bu eriri uhie uhie ahụ na nkwoji aka pụtakwara. A kpọrọ ya Zera.
Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’
