< Genesis 38 >

1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down away from his brethren, —and turned aside unto a certain Adullamite, whose, name, was Hirah.
Yn the same tyme Judas yede doun fro his britheren, and turnede to a man of Odolla, Hiram bi name;
2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose, name, was Shua, —and he took her, and went in unto her;
and he siy ther a douytir of a man of Canaan, Sue bi name. And whanne he hadde takun hir to wijf,
3 and she conceived and bare a son, —and he called his name Er.
he entride to hir, and sche conseyuede, and childide a sone, and clepide his name Her.
4 And she conceived again and bare a son, —and she called his name Onan.
And eft whanne a child was conseyued, sche nemyde the child borun Onam.
5 And she, yet again, bare a son, and called his name Shelah, —and she, was at Chezib, when she bare him.
And sche childide the thridde sone, whom sche clepide Cela, and whanne he was borun, sche ceesside to bere child more.
6 And Judah took a wife, for Er his firstborn, —and, her name, was Tamar.
Forsothe Judas yaf a wijf, `Thamar bi name, to his firste gendrid sone Her.
7 And it came to pass that Er, Judah’s firstborn was displeasing in the eyes of Yahweh, —so Yahweh put him to death,
And Her, the firste gendrid sone of Judas, was weiward in the siyt of the Lord, and therfor he was slayn of the Lord.
8 Then said Judah to Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law unto her, —and raise up seed, to thy brother.
Therfor Judas seide to Onam, his sone, Entre thou to the wijf of thi brothir, and be thou felouschipid to hir, that thou reise seed to thi brothir.
9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his, —and so although he did go in unto his brother’s wife, yet made he waste upon the ground, so as not to give seed to his brother.
And he wiste that sones schulden not be borun to him, `and he entride to the wijf of his brother, and schedde seed in to the erthe, lest the fre children schulden be borun bi the name of the brother;
10 And it was displeasing, in the eyes of Yahweh what he had done, —so he put, him also, to death,
and therfor the Lord smoot hym, for he dide abhomynable thing.
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law—Remain a widow in the house of thy father until Shelah my son grow up. For he said, Lest, he also, die, like his brethren. So Tamar went her way, and remained in the house of her father.
Wherfor Judas seide to Thamar, `wijf of his sone, Be thou widewe in the hous of thi fadir, til Sela my sone wexe, for he dredde lest also he schulde die as hise britheren. And sche yede, and dwellide in the hous of hir fadir.
12 And when the days were multiplied, then died Shua’s daughter, Judah’s wife, —and Judah consoled himself and went up unto his sheep shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, towards Timnah.
Forsothe whanne many yeeris weren passid, the douyter of Sue, `the wijf of Juda, diede, and whanne coumfort was takun aftir morenyng, he stiede to the schereris of hise scheep, he and Iras of Odolla, that was kepere of the floc, stieden in to Thampnas.
13 And it was told Tamar saying, —Lo! thy father-in-law is going up towards Timnah, to the shearing of his sheep.
And it was teld to Thamar, that `the fadir of hir hosebonde stiede to Thampnas, to schere scheep.
14 So she put off from her the garments of her widowhood and covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself up, and sat down in the entrance of, Enaim, which is by the way towards Timnah, —for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she, had not been given him to wife.
And sche dide awei the clothis of widewehod, and sche took a roket, and whanne the clothinge was chaungid, sche sat in the weilot that ledith to Tampna; for Sela hadde woxe, and sche hadde not take hym to hosebonde.
15 And Judah, seeing her, reckoned her to be an unchaste woman, —for she had covered her face.
And whanne Judas hadde seyn hir, he supposide hir to be an hoore, for sche hadde hilid hir face, lest sche were knowun.
16 So he turned aside unto her. by the way, and said Grant it! I pray thee, let me come in unto thee! For he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, if thou shouldst come in unto me?
And Judas entride to hir, and seide, Suffre me that Y ligge with thee; for he wiste not that sche was the wijf of his sone. And whanne sche answeride, What schalt thou yyue to me, that thou ligge bi me?
17 And he said, I, will send a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give a pledge until thou send it?
he seide, Y schal sende to thee a kide of the flockis. And eft whanne sche seide, Y schal suffre that that thou wolt, if thou schalt yyue to me a wed, til thou sendist that that thou bihetist.
18 And he said—What is the pledge that I shall give thee? And She said—Thy signet-ring, and thy guard, and thy staff that is in thy hand. So he gave them to her and came in unto her and she conceived by him.
Judas seide, What wolt thou that be youun to thee for a wed? She answeride, Thi ryng, and thi bie of the arm, and the staaf which thou holdist in the hond. Therfor the womman conseyuide at o liggyng bi, and sche roos, and yede;
19 Then she arose and went her way, and put off her veil from her, —and put on the garments of her widowhood.
and whanne the clooth was `put awei which sche hadde take, sche was clothid in the clothis of widewhod.
20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge at the hand of the woman, —but he found her not.
Forsothe Judas sente a kide bi his scheepherde of Odolla, that he schulde resseyue the wed which he hadde youe to the womman; and whanne he hadde not founde hir,
21 So he asked the men of her place saying. Where is the devotee, she that was in Enaim, by the way? And they said, —There hath been here no devotee.
he axide men of that place, Where is the womman that sat in the weie lot? And whanne alle men answeriden, An hoore was not in this place; he turnede ayen to Judas,
22 Then returned he unto Judah, and said—I found her not, —moreover also, the men of the place said, There hath been here no devotee.
and seide to hym, Y foond not hir, but also men of that place seiden to me, that an hoore sat neuere there.
23 And Judah said: Thou must take it to her, lest we become a contempt, —lo! I sent this kid, and, thou, hast not found her.
Judas seide, Haue sche to hir silf, certis sche may not repreue vs of a leesyng; Y sente the kyde which Y bihiyte, and thou foundist not hir.
24 And it came to pass that about three months after, it was told Judah, saying—Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath been guilty of unchastity, moreover also lo! she hath conceived by unchastity. Then said Judah, Bring her forth and let her be burnt.
Lo! sotheli aftir thre monethis thei telden to Judas, and seiden, Thamar, `wijf of thi sone, hath do fornycacioun, and hir womb semeth to wexe greet. Judas seide, Brynge ye hir forth, that sche be brent.
25 When, she, was about to be brought forth, then, she herself, sent unto her father-in-law saying, By the man to whom these belong, have I, conceived! And she said—Examine, I pray thee, to whom belong the signet-ring, and the guard, and the staff—these!
And whanne sche was led to peyne, sche sente to `the fadir of hir hosebonde, and seide, Y haue conseyued of the man, whose these thingis ben; knowe thou whose is the ryng, and bie of the arm, and staf?
26 So Judah examined them and said—More righteous than I! forasmuch, as I had not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
And whanne the yiftis weren knowun, he seide, Sche is more iust than Y, for Y yaf not hir to Sela, my sone; netheles Judas knewe hir no more fleischli.
27 And, it came to pass at the time of her travail, that lo! twins, were in her womb.
Sotheli whanne the childberyng neiyede, twei chyldren apperiden in the wombe, and in that birthe of children, oon brouyte forth the hond, in which the mydwijf boond a reed threed,
28 And it came to pass when she was in travail, that one put forth a hand, —so the midwife took and bound upon his hand a crimson thread, saying—This came first!
and seide, This schal go out `the formere.
29 And so it was that, no sooner had he withdrawn his hand, than lo! his brother had come. And she said, Wherefore hast thou made for thyself a breach? So his name was called Perez.
Sotheli while he withdrowe the hond, the tother yede out, and the womman seide, Whi was the skyn in which the child lay in the wombe departid for thee? And for this cause sche clepide his name Fares.
30 And afterwards, came his brother, on whose hand was the crimson thread, —so his name was called, Zerah.
Afterward his brothir yede out, in whos hond was the reed threed, whom sche clepide Zaram.

< Genesis 38 >