Genesis 38

¹And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers, and settled to a man, an Adullamite, and his name was Hirah.

²And Judah saw there a daughter of a man, a Canaanite, and his name was Shua. And he took her and went in to her.

³And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

⁴And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

⁵And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. And he was at Chezib when she bore him.

⁶And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

⁷And Er, firstborn of Judah, was evil in the eyes of YHWH; and YHWH killed him.

⁸And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to the wife of your brother and perform the dury of a brother-in-law to her and raise up seed for your brother.”

⁹And Onan knew that the seed would not belong to him. And it came to pass, when he went in to the wife of his brother, that he destroyed it on the earth, so that he would not give seed to his brother.

¹⁰And what he did was evil in the eyes of YHWH, and He killed him also.

¹¹And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in the house of your father until Shelah my son is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in the house of her father.

¹²And the days multiplied, and Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hirah his friend, the Adullamite, at Timnah.

¹³And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

¹⁴And she took off the garments of her widowhood from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown, and she was not given to him for a wife.

¹⁵And Judah saw her, and he thought her for a prostitute, because she had covered her face.

¹⁶And he turned aside to her by the way and said, “Come now, please, let me come in to you.” For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give to me that you may come in to me?”

¹⁷And he said, “I—I will send a kid of the goats from the flock.” And she said, “Only if you will give me a pledge until you send it.”

¹⁸And he said, “What is the pledge that I shall give to you?” And she said, “Your seal, and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

¹⁹And she arose, and went away, and she took off her veil from her, and she put on the garments of her widowhood.

²⁰And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he did not find her.

²¹And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute—she was in Enaim by the way?” And they said, “There has not been a temple prostitute in this place.”

²²And he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her, and the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute in this place.’”

²³And Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we become despised. Behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.”

²⁴And it came to pass about three months later, that it was told to Judah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the prostitute, and also behold, she is pregnant by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.”

²⁵She was being brought out, and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Recognize, please, to whom are these—the signet and the cords and the staff.”

²⁶And Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, for upon thus I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not continue to know her anymore.

²⁷And it came to pass at the time of her giving birth that behold, twins were in her womb.

²⁸And it came to pass when she was giving birth, that one put out a hand, and the midwife took it and tied on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This one came out first.”

²⁹And it came to pass, as he was drawing back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. And she said, “How you have burst forth—for yourself, a breach!” And he called his name Perez.

³⁰And afterward his brother came out, who had on his hand the scarlet thread, and his name was called Zerah.