chapter: 38
Verse 1
At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
Verse 2
Judah saw there a certain Canaanite man named Shua’s daughter. He took her, and went in to her.
Verse 3
She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.
Verse 4
She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.
Verse 5
She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.
Verse 6
Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
Verse 7
Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight. Yahweh killed him.
Verse 8
Judah 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.”
Verse 9
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.
Verse 10
The thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed him also.
Verse 11
Then Judah said to Tamar, 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 went and lived in her father’s house.
Verse 12
After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.
Verse 13
Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
Verse 14
She took off 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 wasn’t given to him as a wife.
Verse 15
When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
Verse 16
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?”
Verse 17
He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?”
Verse 18
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.
Verse 19
She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
Verse 20
Judah 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.
Verse 21
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.”
Verse 22
He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”
Verse 23
Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.”
Verse 24
About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
Verse 25
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.”
Verse 26
Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.
Verse 27
In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.
Verse 28
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.”
Verse 29
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.
Verse 30