Chapter 38

Chapter 38

1 Now it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.

2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua; he made her his woman and went in to her.

3 She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he called his name Er.

4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Onan.

5 She conceived yet again and gave birth to a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she gave birth to him.

6 Then Judah took a woman for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wrongful in the eyes of The Self-Existent; so The Self-Existent put him to death.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s woman, perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”

9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he went in to his brother’s woman, he wasted his seed on the ground to avoid giving offspring to his brother.

10 And what he did was destructive in the eyes of The Self-Existent; so He put him to death also.

11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Reside as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up;” for he thought to himself, “Otherwise, he may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

12 Over the course of time, Shua’s daughter, the woman of Judah, died. After Judah had finished mourning, he went up to Timnah to his sheep-shearers, he and his companion Hirah the Adullamite.

13 And it was reported to Tamar, saying, “Look! Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

14 So she removed her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, yet she had not been made his woman.

15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face.

16 He turned aside to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, please let me go in to her;” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She asked, “What will you give me to go in to me?”

17 He replied, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” But she said, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”

18 He asked, “What pledge shall I give you?” She answered, “Your signet ring, your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became pregnant by him.

19 Then she arose, departed, removed her veil, and put her widow’s garments back on.

20 When Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his companion the Adullamite to recover the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her.

21 He asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the prostitute who was at Enaim by the roadside?” But they answered, “There has been no prostitute here.”

22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her; and the men of that place also said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”

23 Judah replied, “Let her keep the things for herself, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. Look!, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

24 About three months later, it was reported to Judah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has acted as a prostitute, and Look!, she is also pregnant by prostitution.” Then Judah ordered, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please recognize whose these are—the signet ring, the cords, and the staff.”

26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is in right alignment more than I, because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he was not intimate with her again.

27 When her time to give birth arrived, Look!, there were twins in her womb.

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

29 But as he drew back his hand, Look!, his brother came out! Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez (Breach).

30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand; and his name was called Zerah (Dawning).