Genesis 38
1 Eodem tempore, descendens Judas a fratribus suis, divertit ad virum Odollamitem, nomine Hiram.
It came about at that time that Judah left his brothers and stayed with a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2 Viditque ibi filiam hominis Chananæi, vocabulo Sue: et accepta uxore, ingressus est ad eam.
He met there a daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua. He married her and slept with her.
3 Quæ concepit, et peperit filium, et vocavit nomen ejus Her.
She became pregnant and had a son. He was named Er.
4 Rursumque concepto fœtu, natum filium vocavit Onan.
She became pregnant again and had a son. She called his name Onan.
5 Tertium quoque peperit: quem appellavit Sela; quo nato, parere ultra cessavit.
She again had a son and called his name Shelah. It was at Kezib where she gave birth to him.
6 Dedit autem Judas uxorem primogenito suo Her, nomine Thamar.
Judah found a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar.
7 Fuit quoque Her primogenitus Judæ nequam in conspectu Domini: et ab eo occisus est.
Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him.
8 Dixit ergo Judas ad Onan filium suum: Ingredere uxorem fratris tui, et sociare illi, ut suscites semen fratri tuo.
Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother's wife. Do the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a child for your brother.”
9 Ille sciens non sibi nasci filios, introiens ad uxorem fratris sui, semen fundebat in terram, ne liberi fratris nomine nascerentur.
Onan knew that the child would not be his. Whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground so he would not have a child for his brother.
10 Et idcirco percussit eum Dominus, quod rem detestabilem faceret.
What he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him also.
11 Quam ob rem dixit Judas Thamar nurui suæ: Esto vidua in domo patris tui, donec crescat Sela filius meus: timebat enim ne et ipse moreretur, sicut fratres ejus. Quæ abiit, et habitavit in domo patris sui.
Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father's house until Shelah, my son, grows up.” For he feared, “He might also die, just like his brothers.” Tamar left and lived in her father's house.
12 Evolutis autem multis diebus, mortua est filia Sue uxor Judæ: qui, post luctum consolatione suscepta, ascendebat ad tonsores ovium suarum, ipse et Hiras opilio gregis Odollamites, in Thamnas.
After a long time, Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13 Nuntiatumque est Thamar quod socer illius ascenderet in Thamnas ad tondendas oves.
Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 Quæ, depositis viduitatis vestibus, assumpsit theristrum: et mutato habitu, sedit in bivio itineris, quod ducit Thamnam: eo quod crevisset Sela, et non eum accepisset maritum.
She took off the clothing of her widowhood and covered herself with her veil and wrapped herself. She sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up but she had not been given to him as a wife.
15 Quam cum vidisset Judas, suspicatus est esse meretricem: operuerat enim vultum suum, ne agnosceretur.
When Judah saw her he thought that she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.
16 Ingrediensque ad eam, ait: Dimitte me ut coëam tecum: nesciebat enim quod nurus sua esset. Qua respondente: Quid dabis mihi ut fruaris concubitu meo?
He went to her by the road and said, “Come, please let me sleep with you”—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law—and she said, “What will you give me so you can sleep with me?”
17 dixit: Mittam tibi hædum de gregibus. Rursumque illa dicente: Patiar quod vis, si dederis mihi arrhabonem, donec mittas quod polliceris.
He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”
18 Ait Judas: Quid tibi vis pro arrhabone dari? Respondit: Annulum tuum, et armillam, et baculum quem manu tenes. Ad unum igitur coitum mulier concepit,
He said, “What pledge can I give you?” She replied, “Your seal and cord, and the staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19 et surgens abiit: depositoque habitu quem sumpserat, induta est viduitatis vestibus.
She got up and went away. She took off her veil and put on the clothing of her widowhood.
20 Misit autem Judas hædum per pastorem suum Odollamitem, ut reciperet pignus quod dederat mulieri: qui cum non invenisset eam,
Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order that he might receive the pledge back from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.
21 interrogavit homines loci illius: Ubi est mulier quæ sedebat in bivio? Respondentibus cunctis: Non fuit in loco ista meretrix.
Then the Adullamite asked the men of the place, “Where is the cultic prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has not been a cultic prostitute here.”
22 Reversus est ad Judam, et dixit ei: Non inveni eam: sed et homines loci illius dixerunt mihi, numquam sedisse ibi scortum.
He returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her. Also, the men of the place said, 'There has not been a cultic prostitute here.'”
23 Ait Judas: Habeat sibi, certe mendacii arguere nos non potest, ego misi hædum quem promiseram: et tu non invenisti eam.
Judah said, “Let her keep the things, that we not be put to shame. Indeed, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
24 Ecce autem post tres menses nuntiaverunt Judæ, dicentes: Fornicata est Thamar nurus tua, et videtur uterus illius intumescere. Dixitque Judas: Producite eam ut comburatur.
It came about after about three months that it was told to Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed prostitution, and indeed, she is pregnant by it.” Judah said, “Bring her here and let her be burned.”
25 Quæ cum duceretur ad pœnam, misit ad socerum suum, dicens: De viro, cujus hæc sunt, concepi: cognosce cujus sit annulus, et armilla, et baculus.
When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law a message, “By the man who owns these I am pregnant.” She said, “Determine please whose these are, the seal and cords and staff.”
26 Qui, agnitis muneribus, ait: Justior me est: quia non tradidi eam Sela filio meo. Attamen ultra non cognovit eam.
Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I am, since I did not give her as a wife to Shelah, my son.” He did not sleep with her again.
27 Instante autem partu, apparuerunt gemini in utero: atque in ipsa effusione infantium unus protulit manum, in qua obstetrix ligavit coccinum, dicens:
It came about at the time for her to give birth that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 Iste egredietur prior.
It came about as she was giving birth one put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand and said, “This one came out first.”
29 Illo vero retrahente manum, egressus est alter: dixitque mulier: Quare divisa est propter te maceria? et ob hanc causam, vocavit nomen ejus Phares.
But then he drew back his hand, and, behold, his brother came out first. The midwife said, “How you have broken out!” So he was named Perez.
30 Postea egressus est frater ejus, in cujus manu erat coccinum: quem appellavit Zara.
Then his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread upon his hand, and he was named Zerah.
