Genesis 38

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

Now at that time, Judah went away from his brothers and became the friend of a man of Adullam named Hirah.

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

And there he saw the daughter of a certain man of Canaan named Shua, and took her as his wife.

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

And she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Er.

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

And again she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Onan.

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

Then she had another son, to whom she gave the name Shelah; she was at Chezib when the birth took place.

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

And Judah took a wife for his first son Er, and her name was Tamar.

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

Now Er, Judah's first son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death.

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.”

Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and do what it is right for a husband's brother to do; make her your wife and get offspring for your brother.

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.

But Onan, seeing that the offspring would not be his, went in to his brother's wife, but let his seed go on to the earth, so that he might not get offspring for his brother.

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

And what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death, like his brother.

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.

Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Go back to your father's house and keep yourself as a widow till my son Shelah becomes a man: for he had in his mind the thought that death might come to him as it had come to his brothers. So Tamar went back to her father's house.

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.

And after a time, Bath-shua, Judah's wife, came to her end; and after Judah was comforted for her loss, he went to Timnah, where they were cutting the wool of his sheep, and his friend Hirah of Adullam went with him.

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

And when Tamar had news that her father-in-law was going up to Timnah to the wool-cutting,

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.

She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.

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

When Judah saw her he took her to be a loose woman of the town, because her face was covered.

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?”

And turning to her by the roadside, he said to her, Let me come in to you; for he had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me as my price?

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?”

And he said, I will give you a young goat from the flock. And she said, What will you give me as a sign till you send it?

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.

And he said, What would you have? And she said, Your ring and its cord and the stick in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became with child by him.

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

Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.

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.

Then Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat, to get back the things which he had given as a sign to the woman: but she was not there.

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.”

And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.

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.’”

So he went back to Judah, and said, I have not seen her, and the men of the place say that there is no such woman there.

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

And Judah said, Let her keep the things, so that we may not be shamed; I sent the young goat, but you did not see the woman.

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.”

Now about three months after this, word came to Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had been acting like a loose woman and was with child. And Judah said, Take her out and let her be burned.

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.”

And while she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, The man whose property these things are, is the father of my child: say then, whose are this ring and this cord and this stick?

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.

Then Judah said openly that they were his, and said, She is more upright than I am, for I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he had no more connection with her.

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

And when the time came for her to give birth, it was clear that there were two children in her body.

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.”

And while she was in the act of giving birth, one of them put out his hand; and the woman who was with her put a red thread round his hand, saying, This one came out first.

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.

But then he took his hand back again, and his brother came first to birth: and the woman said, What an opening you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez.

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

And then his brother came out, with the red thread round his hand, and he was named Zerah.