Olubereberye 38
1 Awo olwatuuka Yuda n’ava ku baganda be n’aserengeta, n’ayingira ew’Omudulamu, erinnya lye, Kira.
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 Yuda n’alabayo muwala wa Suwa, Omukanani, n’amuwasa, ne yeetaba naye,
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 n’aba olubuto n’azaala omwana owoobulenzi n’amutuuma erinnya Eri.
and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
4 Mukyala wa Yuda n’aba olubuto olulala n’azaala omwana omulenzi n’amutuuma Onani.
Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
5 Ate n’azaala omwana omulala n’amutuuma Seera. Yamuzaalira mu Kezibu.
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 Era Yuda n’awasiza mutabani we omukulu, Eri, omukazi erinnya lye Tamali.
When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
7 Naye Eri mutabani wa Yuda omukulu n’aba mwonoonyi mu maaso ga Mukama; Mukama n’amutta.
But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
8 Awo Yuda n’agamba Onani nti, “Genda eri muka muganda wo, ofunire muganda wo ezzadde.”
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 Naye Onani n’amanya nti ezzadde teririba lirye; bw’atyo bwe yeetaba naye, amannyi n’agafuka wansi aleme okufunira muganda we ezzadde.
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 Ekyo kye yakola kyali kibi mu maaso ga Mukama. N’ono Mukama kyeyava amutta.
Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
11 Awo Yuda olw’okutya nti Seera ayinza okufa nga baganda be, n’agamba Tamali nti, “Ogira obeera nnamwandu, ng’oli mu nnyumba ya kitaawo okutuusa Seera lw’alikula.” Tamali kwe kugenda n’abeera mu nnyumba ya kitaawe.
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 Bwe waayitawo ebbanga mukazi wa Yuda, muwala wa Suwa n’afa. Yuda bwe yayita mu kukungubaga, n’agenda ne Kira Omudulamu e Timuna eri basajja be abasazi b’ebyoya by’endiga ze.
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 Tamali bwe kyamubuulirwa nti, “Sezaala wo agenda e Timuna okusala ebyoya by’endiga ze,”
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 n’asuula eri ebyambalo by’obwannamwandu ne yeeteekako ekiremba ne yeebikkirira, n’atuula ku mulyango gwa Enayimu, ekiri ku kkubo ng’ogenda e Timuna. Kubanga yamanya nti, Seera akuze, kyokka nga tamuweereddwa ku muwasa.
[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 Yuda bwe yamulaba, n’amulowooza okuba omu ku bamalaaya, kubanga yali abisse amaaso ge.
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 N’agenda gy’ali ku mabbali g’ekkubo, n’amugamba nti, “Jjangu, neetabe naawe,” kubanga teyamanya nti ye yali muka mutabani we. Tamali kwe ku mubuuza nti, “Onompa ki bwe neetaba naawe?”
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 Yuda n’amuddamu nti, “Nnaakuweereza embuzi ento.” N’amubuuza nti, “Onompa omusingo nga tonnagimpeereza?”
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 Yuda n’amuddamu nti, “Nkuwe musingo ki?” N’amugamba nti, “Akabonero ko, akajegere ko awamu n’omuggo gwo oguli mu mukono gwo.” Awo n’abimuwa, ne yeetaba naye, n’amufunyisa olubuto.
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 Tamali n’agolokoka n’agenda, n’aggyako ekiremba n’ayambala ebyambalo by’obwannamwandu bwe.
After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
20 Yuda bwe yatuma mukwano gwe Omudulamu, okutwala omwana gw’embuzi, addizibwe omusingo teyalaba ku mukazi.
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 Bwe yabuuliriza ab’omu kifo omwo, omukazi malaaya eyali Enayimu ku mabbali g’ekkubo, ne bamuddamu nti, “Wano tewabeeranga mukazi malaaya.”
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 N’alyoka addayo eri Yuda n’amugamba nti takubikako kimunye; era n’abantu ab’ekitundu ekyo bamutegeezeza nti, “Awo tewabangawo mukazi malaaya.”
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 Yuda kwe kumugamba nti, “Omukazi oli, ebintu k’abisigaze tuleme okusekererwa, naweereza embuzi eno, naye n’atalabikako.”
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 Emyezi ng’esatu bwe gyayitawo ne bagamba Yuda nti, “Muka mwana wo Tamali yafuuka mwenzi. Ate ebyo nga biri awo obwenzi obwo yabufunamu n’olubuto.” Yuda kwe kwejuumuula nga bw’agamba nti, “Mumuleete ayokebwe.”
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 Tamali bwe yali atwalibwa n’atumira sezaala we Yuda n’amugamba nti, “Omusajja nannyini bintu bino ye kazaalabulwa. Nkusaba weetegereze ebintu bino: akabonero, akajegere n’omuggo, by’ani?”
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 Awo Yuda n’abitegeera n’agamba nti, “Omuwala mutuukirivu okunsinga, kubanga saamuwa mutabani wange Seera.” Yuda n’atamuddira.
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 Ekiseera eky’okuwona bwe kyatuuka n’alabika nga wakuzaala balongo.
When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
28 Era bwe yali mu ssanya omulongo omu n’afulumya omukono gwe, omuzaalisa n’agukwata n’agusibako akawuzi akaakakobe nga bw’agamba nti, “Ono y’asoose okujja.”
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 Naye omulongo bwe yazzaayo omukono gwe munda, muganda we n’afuluma; omuzaalisa n’agamba nti, “Lwaki owaguzza?” Erinnya ly’omwana kyeryava liba Pereezi.
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 Oluvannyuma muganda we n’afuluma n’akawuzi akaakakobe nga kali ku mukono gwe, n’ayitibwa Zeera.
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].’
