| 1 | At that time Judah withdrew from his brothers and went to [lodge with] a certain Adullamite named Hirah. |
| 2 | There Judah saw
and
met a daughter of Shuah, a Canaanite; he took her as wife and lived with her. |
| 3 | And she became pregnant and bore a son, and he called him Er. |
| 4 | And she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan. |
| 5 | Again she conceived and bore a son and named him Shelah. [They were living] at Chezib when she bore him. |
| 6 | Now Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn; her name was Tamar. |
| 7 | And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him. |
| 8 | Then Judah told Onan, Marry your brother’s widow; live with her and raise offspring for your brother. |
| 9 | But Onan knew that the family would not be his, so when he cohabited with his brother’s widow, he prevented conception, lest he should raise up a child for his brother. |
| 10 | And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He slew him also. |
| 11 | Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at your father’s house till Shelah my [youngest] son is grown; for he thought, Lest perhaps [if Shelah should marry her] he would die also, as his brothers did. So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house. |
| 12 | But later Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shuah, died; and when Judah was comforted, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnath with his friend Hirah the Adullamite. |
| 13 | Then it was told Tamar, Listen, your father-in-law is going up to Timnath to shear his sheep. |
| 14 | So she put off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself up [in disguise], and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown and she was not given to him as his wife. |
| 15 | When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot
or
devoted prostitute [under a vow to her goddess], for she had covered her face [as such women did]. |
| 16 | He turned to her by the road and said, Come, let me have intercourse with you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me that you may have intercourse with me? |
| 17 | He answered, I will send you a kid from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge (deposit) until you send it? |
| 18 | And he said, What pledge shall I give you? She said, Your signet [seal], your [signet] cord, and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her and came in to her, and she became pregnant by him. |
| 19 | And she arose and went away and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood. |
| 20 | And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand; but he was unable to find her. |
| 21 | He asked the men of that place, Where is the harlot
or
cult prostitute who was openly by the roadside? They said, There was no harlot
or
temple prostitute here. |
| 22 | So he returned to Judah and said, I cannot find her; and also the local men said, There was no harlot
or
temple prostitute around here. |
| 23 | And Judah said, Let her keep [the pledge articles] for herself, lest we be made ashamed. I sent this kid, but you have not found her. |
| 24 | But about three months later Judah was told, Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot, and also she is with child by her lewdness. And Judah said, Bring her forth and let her be burned! |
| 25 | When she was brought forth, she [took the things he had given her in pledge and] sent [them] to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man to whom these articles belong. Then she added, Make out clearly, I pray you, to whom these belong, the signet [seal], [signet] cord, and staff. |
| 26 | And Judah acknowledged them and said, She has been more righteous
and
just than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he did not cohabit with her again. |
| 27 | Now when the time came for her to be delivered, behold, there were twins in her womb. |
| 28 | And when she was in labor, one baby put out his hand; and the midwife took his hand and bound upon it a scarlet thread, saying, This baby was born first. |
| 29 | But he drew back his hand, and behold, his brother was born first. And she said, What a breaking forth you have made for yourself! Therefore his name was called Perez [breaking forth]. |
| 30 | And afterward his brother who had the scarlet thread on his hand was born and was named Zerah [scarlet]. |
Cross references:
-
Genesis 38:29 : Matt. 1:3.
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