Genesis 38

1 At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

那時猶大離開自己的兄弟，下到一個名叫希辣的阿杜藍人那裏住下了。

2 There, Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite man named Shua. He took her, and went in to her.

猶大在那裏看見了一個名叫叔亞的客納罕人的女兒，就娶了她，親近了她。

3 She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.

她遂懷孕，生了一個兒子，給他起名叫厄爾。

4 She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.

她又懷孕，生了一個兒子，給他起名叫敖難。

5 She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

以後她又生了一個兒子，給他起名叫舍拉；生他的時候，猶大正在革齊布。

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

猶大給自己的長子厄爾娶了妻子，名叫塔瑪爾。

7 Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight. So the LORD killed him.

猶大的長子厄爾行了上主所厭惡的事，上主就叫他死了。

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.”

於是猶大對敖難說：「你去與你哥哥的妻子親近，與她盡你為弟弟的義務，給你哥哥立後。」

9 Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.

敖難明知後裔不歸自己，所以當他與哥哥的妻子結合時，便將精液遺洩於地，免得給自己的哥哥立後。

10 The thing which he did was evil in the LORD’s sight, and he killed him also.

他作這事，為上主所厭惡，上主就叫他死了。

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.

猶大於是對兒子塔瑪爾說：「你回到你父親家中去守寡，直到我兒子舍拉長大成人。」因為他心裏想：「恐怕他也如同他哥哥一樣死去。」塔瑪爾就回去，住在自己父親的家裏。

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.

過了幾年，猶大的妻子叔亞的女兒死了。喪期過後，猶大便同自己的朋友阿杜藍人希辣，上提默納黑去剪羊毛。

13 Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

有人告訴塔瑪爾說：「你公公現正上提默納黑去剪羊毛。」

14 She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given to him as a wife.

塔瑪爾遂脫去守寡的衣服，蒙上首帕，遮掩自己，坐在通往提默納黑大道去厄納殷的路口上；－－原來她見舍拉已經長大，還沒有娶她為妻。－－

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

猶大一看見她，以為她是個妓女，因為她遮蓋了自己的臉。

16 He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

猶大便由路上轉到她面前，向她說：「來! 讓我與你親近! 」他並不知她就是自己的兒媳。她答說：「你給我什麼，好與我親近﹖」

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?”

猶大答說：「由羊群中取一隻小公山羊送給你。」塔瑪爾說：「你未送來以前，你應給個抵押。」

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.

猶大問說：「我該給你什麼作抵押﹖」她答說：「你的印章，你的繫印帶和你的棍杖。」猶大便交給了她，與她親近了；她於是由他懷了孕。

19 She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

事後，她起來回家，除掉首帕，再穿上她守寡的衣服。

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 did not find her.

猶大託自己的朋友阿杜藍人送了一隻小公山羊去，好由那女人手中取回抵押；他卻找不到她，

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.”

便問當地人說：「那在厄納殷路旁的廟妓在那裏﹖」人答說：「這裏從來沒有廟妓。」

22 He returned to Judah, and said, “I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”

他回來對猶大說：「我找不著她，並且當地的人都說：這裏從來沒有廟妓。」

23 Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you have not found her.”

猶大遂說：「讓她留著罷! 免得我們被人嗤笑。我將小公山羊送了去，可是你沒有找著她。」

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.”

大約過了三個月，有人告訴猶大說：「你的兒媳塔瑪爾與人通姦，而且因通姦有了身孕。猶大說：「把她拉出來燒死! 」

25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man who owns these.” She also said, “Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.”

當她被拉出來時，她派人到她公公那裏說：「這些東西是誰的，我就是由誰懷了孕。」並且說：「請你仔細看看這些東西：印章、印帶和棍杖是誰的﹖」

26 Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.

猶大仔細一看，就說：「她比我更有理，因為我尚沒有將她嫁給我的兒子舍拉。」他從此以後，再沒有認識她。

27 In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.

到了她要生產的時候，腹中竟是一對雙胎。

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.”

她正生產時，一個胎兒伸出一手來，收生婆就拿了一根朱紅線繫在他手上說：「這個是先出生的。」

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.

但是他一收回手去，他的兄弟就出生了；收生婆說：「你為自己開了個怎樣的裂口! 」遂給他起名叫培勒茲。

30 Afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

以後，那手上繫有朱紅線的兄弟也出生了，遂給他起名叫則辣黑。