UGenesisi 38
1 Ngalesosikhathi uJuda watshiya abafowabo wahamba wayahlala lendoda yase-Adulami eyayithiwa nguHira.
At that time, Judah [Praised] went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2 Khonale uJuda wabonana lendodakazi yendoda engumKhenani eyayithiwa nguShuwa. Wayithatha wembatha layo;
Judah [Praised] saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite [Descendant of Humbled] whose name was Shua. He took her, and went in to her.
3 yathatha isisu yazala indodana yathiwa ngu-Eri.
She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.
4 Wazithwala njalo wazala indodana wayithi ngu-Onani.
She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.
5 Wazala njalo enye indodana wayithi nguShela. Le wayizalela eKhezibhi.
She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.
6 UJuda wazuzela u-Eri izibulo lakhe umfazi, ibizo lakhe linguThamari.
Judah [Praised] took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar [Palm tree].
7 Kodwa u-Eri izibulo likaJuda, wayengcolile emehlweni kaThixo; uThixo wasembulala.
Er, Judah [Praised]’s firstborn, was wicked in Adonai’s sight. Adonai killed him.
8 UJuda wasesithi ku-Onani, “Lala lomkamfowenu ugcwalise umlandu wakho njengomfowabo uzalele umfowenu abantwana.”
Judah [Praised] said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”
9 Kodwa u-Onani wakwazi ukuthi inzalo leyo yayingezukuba ngeyakhe; ngakho kwakusithi sonke isikhathi angalala lomkamfowabo achithele inhlanyelo phansi emhlabathini ukuze angaze azalela umfowabo abantwana.
Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.
10 Lokho ayekwenza kwakukubi emehlweni kaThixo; ngakho uThixo wambulala.
The thing which he did was evil in Adonai’s sight, and he killed him also.
11 UJuda wasesithi kumalukazana wakhe uThamari, “Hamba uyehlala njengomfelokazi emzini kayihlo indodana yami uShela ize ikhule.” Ngoba wanakana wathi, “Laye angafa njengabanewabo.” Ngakho uThamari wahamba wayahlala emzini kayise.
Then Judah [Praised] said to Tamar [Palm tree], his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;” for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar [Palm tree] went and lived in her father’s house.
12 Ngemva kwesikhathi eside umkaJuda, indodakazi kaShuwa wafa. Kwathi uJuda eseduduzekile waya eThimina, emadodeni ayegunda izimvu zakhe, ehamba lomngane wakhe uHira umʼAdulami.
After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah [Praised], died. Judah [Praised] was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.
13 Kwathi uThamari esetsheliwe kwathiwa, “Uyihlozala uyeza eThimina ukuzagunda izimvu zakhe,”
Tamar [Palm tree] was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 wakhulula izigqoko zakhe zokuzila wazimboza ngesimbombozo ukuzifihla, wasehlala phansi eduzane lesango lase-Enayimi, elisendleleni yaseThimina. Ngoba wabona ukuthi loba uShela wayesekhulile, yena wayelokhu engakamphiwa ukuthi abe ngumkakhe.
She took off of her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given to him as a wife.
15 UJuda wathi embona wacabanga ukuthi yisifebe, ngoba wayezivale ubuso.
When Judah [Praised] saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16 Kwathi ngoba engamboni ukuthi ngumalokazana wakhe waya kuye eceleni komgwaqo wathi, “Woza manje, ngifuna ukulala lawe.” Yena wabuza wathi, “Uzangiphani ngingalala lawe?”
He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 Wathi, “Ngizakuthumezela izinyane lembuzi emhlambini wami.” UThamari wabuza wathi, “Uzangipha na ulutho lube yisibambiso ungakalithumezi?”
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 Wathi, “Ngikuphe sibambiso bani?” Waphendula wathi, “Isilengiso sophawu lwakho lentambo yaso, kanye lodondolo lwakho oluphetheyo.” Ngakho wamupha lezozinto waselala laye, wahle wazithwala.
He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.
19 Esesuka lapho uThamari wakhupha isimbombozo sakhe wagqoka izigqoko zakhe zokuzila njalo.
She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 Kusenjalo uJuda wathumezela izinyane lembuzi ngomngane wakhe umʼAdulami ukuze abuyiselwe isibambiso sakhe esasikowesifazane lowo, kodwa wamswela.
Judah [Praised] sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her.
21 Wabuza amadoda ayehlala lapho wathi, “Singaphi isifebe ebesilapha eceleni komgwaqo e-Enayimi na?” Athi, “Kakuzange kube lesifebe lapha.”
Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.”
22 Ngakho wasebuyela kuJuda wayakuthi, “Kangimfumananga. Futhi amadoda lawo ahlala khona athi kakuzange kube lesifebe esasihlala lapho.”
He returned to Judah [Praised], and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”
23 UJuda wasesithi, “Myekele ahle akugcine khonokho alakho funa sicine sesiyinhlekisa. Phezu kwalokho mina bengimthumezele izinyane lembuzi, kodwa kawusamfumananga.”
Judah [Praised] said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.”
24 Ngemva kwezinyanga ezintathu uJuda watshelwa ukuthi umalukazana wakhe uThamari wayesefebile wasethatha isisu. UJuda wathi, “Mkhupheni, atshiswe aze afe.”
About three months later, Judah [Praised] was told, “Tamar [Palm tree], your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah [Praised] said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
25 Kwathi lapho ekhutshwa wathumela ilizwi kuyisezala wathi, “Ngoniwa yindoda engumnikazi walezizinto.” Wengeza ngokuthi, “Akubone ukuthi singaba ngesikabani isilengiso sophawu lesi lentambo kanye lodondolo lolu.”
When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man, whose these are, I am with child.” She also said, “Please discern whose are these— the signet, and the cords, and the staff.”
26 UJuda wazazi izinto lezo wathi, “Ulungile kulami, ngoba kangisamphanga endodaneni yami uShela.” Kasaphindanga wembatha laye njalo.
Judah [Praised] acknowledged them, and said, “She is more upright than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.
27 Kwathi isikhathi sakhe sokubeletha sesifikile, wayelamaphahla angabafana esiswini.
In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 Wathi khonapho ebeletha omunye wawo wakhupha isandla; umbelethisi wathatha intambo ebomvu wayibophela esihlakaleni sesandla salo wathi, “Leli yilo eliphume kuqala.”
When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.”
29 Kodwa labuyisela isandla, umfowabo waphuma kuqala, wasesithi, “Le yiyo indlela ofohle ngayo!” Laseliphiwa ibizo elithi nguPherezi.
As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.
30 Ngakho umfowabo, owayelentambo esihlakaleni, waphuma wethiwa ibizo wathiwa nguZera.
Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
