Genesis 38
1 At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].
Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Yuda ʋu le nɔviawo gbɔ heyi Adulam, eye wònɔ ŋutsu aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Hira la gbɔ.
2 There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,
Yuda do go Kanaan nyɔnu aɖe si nye Sua ƒe vi la le afi ma, eye wòɖee.
3 and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.
Efɔ fu, eye wòdzi ŋutsuvi, eye wòna ŋkɔe be Er.
4 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.
Egafɔ fu, dzi ŋutsuvi, eye wòna ŋkɔe be Onan.
5 Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.
Egadzi ŋutsuvi ake, eye wòtsɔ ŋkɔ nɛ be Sela; teƒe si wodzii le lae nye Kezib.
6 When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
Esi via Er tsi la, Yuda na wòɖe nyɔnuvi aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Tamar.
7 But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
Ke Er, Yuda ƒe ŋgɔgbevi nye ŋutsu vɔ̃ɖi aɖe, eya ta Yehowa wui.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”
Yuda gblɔ na Er nɔviŋutsu Onan be, “Ele be nàɖe Tamar abe ale si míaƒe se di tso ame kuku nɔviŋutsu si be wòawɔ ene, ale be Tamar ƒe vi siwo wòadzi na wò la nanyi nɔviwò kukua ƒe dome.”
9 But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
Ke Onan medi be yeadzi vi si womabu abe ye ŋutɔ tɔ ene o, eya ta togbɔ be eɖe Tamar hã la, ɣe sia ɣi si wòadɔ Tamar gbɔ la, enana eƒe ŋutsutsi la duduna ɖe aba la dzi, ale be Tamar mafɔ fu adzi vi si anye nɔvia kukua tɔ o.
10 Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
Le Yehowa gbɔ la, enye nu vɔ̃ Onan wɔ be wògbe be yemadzi vi na ye nɔvi kukua o, eya ta Yehowa wu eya hã.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.
Eya ta Yuda gblɔ na toyɔvia, Tamar be megaɖe srɔ̃ azɔ le ɣe ma ɣi me o, ke boŋ wòatrɔ ayi wo de le edzilawo gbɔ, eye wòanye ahosi va se ɖe esime ye vi suetɔ, Sela natsi ate ŋu aɖee. Ke Yuda meɖo le nyateƒe me be Sela naɖee o, gake egblɔ nenema, elabena evɔ̃ be Mawu ava wu eya hã abe ale si wòwu foa eveawo ene. Ale Tamar yi wo de le edzilawo gbɔ.
12 Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
Le ɣeyiɣi aɖe megbe la, Yuda srɔ̃ ku. Le kunuwɔwɔ nɛ vɔ megbe la, Yuda kple exɔlɔ̃, Hira, Adulamtɔ la yi Timna be woakpɔ fukoko na alẽwo dzi.
13 Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep.”
Esi ame aɖe gblɔ na Tamar be toa dze Timna mɔ dzi hegbɔna fu ko ge na alẽawo,
14 [She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.
eye esi wònya azɔ kɔtɛe be womaɖe mɔ yeaɖe Sela o, togbɔ be Sela tsi azɔ hã la, eɖe eƒe ahovɔ da ɖi, eye wòtsɔ motsyɔvɔ tsyɔ mo, ale be womagadze si ye o. Enɔ anyi ɖe mɔ to le Enaim si le Timna mɔ dzi la ƒe agbo nu.
15 When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].
Yuda kpɔe esime wòva yina, eye wòbu be gboloe le eƒe motsyɔvɔ la ta.
16 Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”
Ale Yuda gogoe hebiae be wòana yeadɔ egbɔ, ke menya be ye ŋutɔ yeƒe toyɔvie o. Tamar biae be, “Ho neni nàxe nam?”
17 He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”
Yuda do ŋugbe nɛ be, “Maɖo gbɔ̃vi aɖe ɖe wò tso nye lãwo dome.” Tamar biae be, “Nu ka nàtsɔ ade awɔba, ale be maka ɖe edzi be àɖo gbɔ̃vi la ɖem?”
18 He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.
Yuda biae be, “Enyo, awɔbanu kae nèhiã?” Tamar ɖo eŋu be, “Tsɔ wò ŋkɔsigɛ si nètsɔna dea dzesi wò nuwo kple wò atizɔti nam.” Ale Yuda tsɔ wo nɛ. Tamar lɔ̃ Yuda dɔ egbɔ, eye wòfɔ fu.
19 After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.
Le esia megbe la, Tamar gade asi eƒe ahovɔ la tata me abe tsã ene.
20 Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
Yuda gblɔ na exɔlɔ̃ Hira, Adulamtɔ la be wòalé gbɔ̃vi la ayi na Tamar, eye wòaxɔ awɔbanuawo vɛ, ke Hira mete ŋu ke ɖe Tamar ŋu o.
21 So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”
Hira bia dua me ŋutsuwo be, “Afi ka gbolo si nɔa ŋutsuwo dim le mɔ to le Enaim dua ƒe agbonu la le?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Gbolo aɖeke menɔ afi sia kpɔ o.”
22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
Ale wòtrɔ va Yuda gbɔ, gblɔ nɛ be yemete ŋu ke ɖe eŋu o, eye wògblɔ nya si dua me ŋutsuwo gblɔ nɛ la na Yuda.
23 Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her.”
Yuda gblɔ be, “Ekema awɔbanuawo netsi egbɔ faa! Míedze agbagba ale si míate ŋui. Ne míegale eyome tim kokoko la, dua me tɔwo ako mí. Meɖo gbɔ̃tsu la ɖee, ke mèkpɔe o.”
24 About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”
Le ɣleti etɔ̃ megbe la, woɖo du ɖe Yuda be toyɔvia Tamar fɔ fu le gbolowɔwɔ ta. Yuda do ɣli be, “Mihee vɛ, eye miatɔ dzoe!”
25 But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”
Ke esi wohee yina wuwu ge la, eɖo du ɖe toa be, “Ame si tɔ ŋkɔsigɛ kple eŋuti ka kple atizɔti sia nye la, eya tututue nye ɖevi si dzi ge megbɔna la fofo. Ènya nane tso ŋkɔsigɛ kple atizɔti sia ŋua?”
26 When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.
Yuda lɔ̃ be ye tɔwoe, eye wògblɔ be, “Etɔ dzɔ, elabena megbe be nyemawɔ ŋugbedodo dzi atsɔe na vinye, Sela wòaɖe o.” Tso ema dzi la, megadɔ kplii kpɔ o.
27 When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.
Eƒe vidziɣi ɖo, eye wòdzi evenɔvi siwo nye ŋutsuviwo.
28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”
Esi wònɔ ɖeviawo dzim la, vixela la sa ka dzĩ aɖe ɖe ɖevi si do gbɔna gbã la ƒe alɔnu,
29 But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’
ke ɖevi la he asi ɖe megbe yi dadaa ƒe dɔ me, eye wodzi ɖevi evelia gbã. Vixela la bia be, “Nu ka ta nèdo ŋgɔ na nɔviwòa ɖo?” Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, woyɔa ɖevi sia be Perez si gɔmee nye “Ŋgɔdodo.”
30 Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’
Eteƒe medidi hafi wodzi ɖevi si ƒe alɔnu ka dzĩ la le la o. Wona ŋkɔe be Zera.
