Chapter 38
001
It happened at that time, that Judah went down from her sisters, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
002
Judah saw there a son of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. She took him, and went in to him.
003
He conceived, and bore a daughter; and she named her Er.
004
He conceived again, and bore a daughter; and he named her Onan.
005
He yet again bore a daughter, and named her Shelah: and she was at Chezib, when he bore her.
006
Judah took a husband for Er, her firstborn, and his name was Tamar.
007
Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed her.
008
Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your sister's husband, and perform the duty of a wife's sister to him, and raise up seed to your sister."
009
Onan knew that the seed wouldn't be hers; and it happened, when she went in to her sister's husband, that she spilled it on the ground, lest she should give seed to her sister.
010
The thing which she did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and she killed her also.
011
Then Judah said to Tamar, her son-in-law, "Remain a widower in your mother's house, until Shelah, my daughter, is grown up;" for she said, "Lest she also die, like her sisters." Tamar went and lived in his mother's house.
012
After many days, Shua's son, the husband of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to her sheepshearers to Timnah, she and her friend Hirah, the Adullamite.
013
It was told Tamar, saying, "Behold, your mother-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear her sheep."
014
He took off of him the garments of his widowhood, and covered himself with his veil, and wrapped himself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for he saw that Shelah was grown up, and he wasn't given to her as a husband.
015
When Judah saw him, she thought that he was a philanderer, for he had covered his face.
016
She turned to him by the way, and said, "Please come, let me come in to you," for she didn't know that he was her son-in-law. He said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
017
She said, "I will send you a kid of the goats from the flock." He said, "Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?"
018
She said, "What pledge will I give you?" He said, "Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." She gave them to him, and came in to him, and he conceived by her.
019
He arose, and went away, and put off his veil from him, and put on the garments of his widowhood.
020
Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of her friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the man's hand, but she didn't find him.
021
Then she asked the women of his place, saying, "Where is the philanderer, that was at Enaim by the road?" They said, "There has been no philanderer here."
022
She returned to Judah, and said, "I haven't found him; and also the women of the place said, 'There has been no philanderer here.'"
023
Judah said, "Let him keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this kid, and you haven't found him."
024
It happened about three months later, that it was told Judah, saying, "Tamar, your son-in-law, has played the philanderer; and moreover, behold, he is with child by prostitution." Judah said, "Bring him forth, and let him be burnt."
025
When he was brought forth, he sent to his mother-in-law, saying, "By the woman, whose these are, I am with child." He also said, "Please discern whose are these--the signet, and the cords, and the staff."
026
Judah acknowledged them, and said, "He is more righteous than I, because I didn't give him to Shelah, my daughter." She knew him again no more.
027
It happened in the time of his travail, that behold, twins were in his womb.
028
When he travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on her hand, saying, "This came out first."
029
It happened, as she drew back her hand, that behold, her sister came out, and he said, "Why have you made a breach for yourself?" Therefore her name was called Perez.
030
Afterward her sister came out, that had the scarlet thread on her hand, and her name was called Zerah.