Genesis 38

1 Eodem tempore descendens Iudas a fratribus suis, divertit ad Virum Odollamitem, nomine Hiram.

And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2 Viditque ibi filiam hominis Chananæi, vocabulo Sue: et accepta uxore, ingressus est ad eam.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.

3 Quæ concepit, et peperit filium, et vocavit nomen eius Her.

And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er.

4 Rursumque concepto fœtu, natum filium vocavit Onan.

And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan.

5 Tertium quoque peperit: quem appellavit Sela. quo nato, parere ultra cessavit.

And she yet again bore a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.

6 Dedit autem Iudas uxorem primogenito suo Her, nomine Thamar.

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

7 Fuit quoque Her primogenitus Iudæ, nequam in conspectu Domini: et ab eo occisus est.

And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

8 Dixit ergo Iudas ad Onan filium suum: Ingredere uxorem fratris tui, et sociare illi, ut suscites semen fratri tuo.

And Judah said unto Onan: 'Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.'

9 Ille sciens non sibi nasci filios, introiens ad uxorem fratris sui, semen fundebat in terram, ne liberi fratris nomine nascerentur.

And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

10 Et idcirco percussit eum Dominus, quod rem detestabilem faceret.

And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him also.

11 Quam ob rem dixit Iudas Thamar nurui suæ: Esto vidua in domo patris tui, donec crescat Sela filius meus: timebat enim ne et ipse moreretur, sicut fratres eius. Quæ abiit, et habitavit in domo patris sui.

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law: 'Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown up'; for he said: 'Lest he also die, like his brethren.' And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

12 Evolutis autem multis diebus, mortua est filia Sue uxor Iudæ: qui post luctum consolatione suscepta, ascendebat ad tonsores ovium suarum, ipse et Hiras opilio gregis Odollamites, in Thamnas.

And in process of time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 Nunciatumque est Thamar quod socer illius ascenderet in Thamnas ad tondendas oves.

And it was told Tamar, saying: 'Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep.'

14 Quæ, depositis viduitatis vestibus, assumpsit theristrum: et mutato habitu, sedit in bivio itineris, quod ducit Thamnam: eo quod crevisset Sela, et non eum accepisset maritum.

And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

15 Quam cum vidisset Iudas, suspicatus est esse meretricem: operuerat enim vultum suum, ne agnosceretur.

When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face.

16 Ingrediensque ad eam, ait: Dimitte me ut coeam tecum: nesciebat enim quod nurus sua esset. Qua respondente: Quid dabis mihi ut fruaris concubitu meo?

And he turned unto her by the way, and said: 'Come, 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, that thou mayest come in unto me?'

17 dixit: Mittam tibi hœdam de gregibus. Rursumque illa dicente: Patiar quod vis, si dederis mihi arrhabonem, donec mittas quod polliceris.

And he said: 'I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she said: 'Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?'

18 Ait Iudas: Quid tibi vis pro arrhabone dari? Respondit: Annulum tuum, et armillam, et baculum quem manu tenes. Ad unum igitur coitum mulier concepit,

And he said: 'What pledge shall I give thee?' And she said: 'Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand.' And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

19 et surgens abiit: depositoque habitu, quem sumpserat, induta est viduitatis vestibus.

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

20 Misit autem Iudas hœdum per pastorem suum Odollamitem, ut reciperet pignus quod dederat mulieri: qui cum non invenisset eam,

And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; but he found her not.

21 interrogavit homines loci illius: Ubi est mulier quæ sedebat in bivio? Respondentibus cunctis: Non fuit in loco ista meretrix.

Then he asked the men of her place, saying: 'Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?' And they said: 'There hath been no harlot here.'

22 Reversus est ad Iudam, et dixit ei: Non inveni eam: sed et homines loci illius dixerunt mihi, numquam sedisse ibi scortum.

And he returned to Judah, and said: 'I have not found her; and also the men of the place said: There hath been no harlot here.'

23 Ait Iudas: Habeat sibi, certe mendacii arguere nos non potest, ego misi hœdum quem promiseram: et tu non invenisti eam.

And Judah said: 'Let her take it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.'

24 Ecce autem post tres menses nunciaverunt Iudæ, dicentes: Fornicata est Thamar nurus tua, et videtur uterus illius intumescere. Dixitque Iudas: Producite eam ut comburatur.

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying: 'Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry.' And Judah said: 'Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.'

25 Quæ cum duceretur ad pœnam, misit ad socerum suum, dicens: De viro, cuius hæc sunt, concepi: cognosce cuius sit annulus, et armilla, et baculus.

When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: 'By the man, whose these are, am I with child'; and she said: 'Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.'

26 Qui, agnitis muneribus, ait: Iustior me est: quia non tradidi eam Sela filio meo. Attamen ultra non cognovit eam.

And Judah acknowledged them, and said: 'She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son.' And he knew her again no more.

27 Instante autem partu, apparuerunt gemini in utero: atque in ipsa effusione infantium unus protulit manum, in qua obstetrix ligavit coccinum, dicens:

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

28 Iste egredietur prior.

And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying: 'This came out first.'

29 Illo vero retrahente manum, egressus est alter: dixitque mulier: Quare divisa est propter te maceria? et ob hanc causam vocavit nomen eius Phares.

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold his brother came out; and she said: 'Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself?' Therefore his name was called Perez.

30 Postea egressus est frater eius, in cuius manu erat coccinum: quem appellavit Zara.

And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zerah.