UGenesisi 38

1 Kwasekusithi ngalesosikhathi uJuda wehla esuka kubafowabo, waphambukela endodeni yeAdulamu, obizo layo linguHira.

Around this time, Judah left his brothers and set up his tents at Adullam, near to a local man named Hirah.

2 UJuda wasebona lapho indodakazi yendoda umKhanani, obizo lakhe linguShuwa; wayithatha wangena kuyo.

There Judah happened to see the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua and married her. He slept with her,

3 Yasithatha isisu, yazala indodana; waseyitha ibizo layo uEri.

and she became pregnant and had a son he named Er.

4 Yasiphinda ithatha isisu, yazala indodana; yayitha ibizo layo uOnani.

She became pregnant again and had a son she named Onan.

5 Yasisengezelela futhi yazala indodana, yayitha ibizo layo uShela; kodwa wayeseKezibi ekuyizaleni kwayo.

Then she had another son she named Shelah who was born in Kezib.

6 UJuda wasemthathela uEri izibulo lakhe umfazi, njalo ibizo lakhe linguTamari.

Much later, Judah arranged for Er, his firstborn son, to marry a woman named Tamar.

7 Kodwa uEri, izibulo likaJuda, wayemubi emehlweni eNkosi; iNkosi yasimbulala.

But Er did what was evil in the Lord's sight, so the Lord put him to death.

8 UJuda wasesithi kuOnani: Ngena kumkamfowenu, wenze kuye imfanelo yomfowabo wendoda, umvusele umfowenu inzalo.

Judah told Onan, “Go and sleep with your brother's wife to fulfill the requirements of a brother-in-law to have children on behalf of your brother.”

9 UOnani wayesazi-ke ukuthi inzalo kayiyikuba ngeyakhe. Kwasekusithi lapho engena kumkamfowabo, wayichithela emhlabathini, ukuze angamniki umfowabo inzalo.

Onan realized that any children he had wouldn't be his own, so whenever he slept with his brother's wife he made sure she wouldn't become pregnant by withdrawing and spilling his semen on the ground. In this way he prevented any children being born on behalf of his brother.

10 Kwasekusiba kubi emehlweni eNkosi lokho akwenzayo; ngakho yambulala laye.

But what he did was evil in the Lord's sight, so he also put Onan to death.

11 UJuda wasesithi kuTamari umalokazana wakhe: Hlala ungumfelokazi endlini kayihlo, aze akhule uShela indodana yami; ngoba wathi: Hlezi laye afe njengabafowabo. UTamari wasehamba wahlala endlini kayise.

Then Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Go to your father's house and live there as a widow until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “Maybe he'll die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went and stayed in her father's house.

12 Emva kwensuku ezinengi yafa indodakazi kaShuwa, umkaJuda. UJuda eseziduduzile, wenyukela kubagundi bezimvu zakhe eThiminathi, yena lomngane wakhe uHira umAdulamu.

A long time later Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah had finished the time of mourning, he went to visit his sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah from Adullam.

13 Kwasekusaziswa kuTamari ukuthi: Khangela, uyihlozala wenyukela eThiminathi ukugunda izimvu zakhe.

Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

14 Wasekhulula izembatho zobufelokazi bakhe, wazimbomboza ngesimbombozo, wazigoqela, wahlala esangweni iEnayima, elisendleleni eya eThiminathi; ngoba wabona ukuthi uShela wayesekhulile, njalo wayengamnikwanga ukuba ngumkakhe.

So she took off her widow's clothes and covered herself with a veil, disguising herself. She sat down beside the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. She had realized that even though Shelah had now grown up, nothing had been done about her marrying him.

15 Lapho uJuda esembonile, wacabanga ukuthi uliwule, ngoba embomboze ubuso bakhe.

Judah saw her and thought she must be a prostitute because she had veiled her face.

16 Wasephambukela kuye endleleni wathi: Woza-ke, ngingene kuwe; ngoba wayengazi ukuthi ngumalokazana wakhe. Wasesithi: Uzanginikani ukuze ungene kimi?

He went over to her at the side of the road and said, “I want to sleep with you.” He didn't know she was his daughter-in-law. “What will you give me if I let you sleep with me?” she asked.

17 Wasesithi: Mina ngizathumela izinyane lembuzi elivela emhlanjini. Wasesithi: Uzanginika isibambiso uze ulithumele yini?

“I'll send you a young goat from my flock,” he replied. “What guarantee will you give me to make sure you'll send it?” she asked.

18 Wasesithi: Sibambiso bani engizakunika sona? Wasesithi: Indandatho elophawu lwakho, lentambo yakho, lodondolo lwakho olusesandleni sakho. Wasemupha, wangena kuye; wasethatha isisu sakhe.

“What guarantee do I have to give you?” he asked. “Your signet seal and its cord, and your walking stick that you're holding,” she replied. He handed them over to her. He slept with her and she became pregnant.

19 Wasesukuma wahamba, wakhulula isimbombozo sakhe, wafaka izembatho zobufelokazi bakhe.

She left, went home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.

20 UJuda wasethumela izinyane lembuzi ngesandla somngane wakhe umAdulamu ukuze athathe isibambiso esandleni sowesifazana; kodwa kamtholanga.

Judah sent his friend Hirah from Adullam with a young goat to get back his belongings he'd left as a guarantee from the woman, but he couldn't find her.

21 Wasebuza amadoda endawo yakowesifazana esithi: Lingaphi iwule elaliseEnayima endleleni? Asesithi: Kakuzanga kube khona iwule lapha.

Hirah asked the men there, “Where's the cult prostitute that sits by the entrance road to Enaim?” “There's no cult prostitute here,” they answered.

22 Wasebuyela kuJuda wathi: Kangilitholanga, futhi lamadoda endawo athi: Kakuzanga kube khona iwule lapha.

Hirah went back to Judah and told him, “I couldn't find her, and the men there said, ‘There's no cult prostitute here.’”

23 UJuda wasesithi: Kalizithathele, hlezi sideleleke; khangela, ngithumele lelizinyane, kodwa wena kawumtholanga.

“Let her keep what I gave her,” Judah replied. “We'll look ridiculous to people if we go on searching. In any case I did try to send her the young goat as promised but you couldn't find her.”

24 Kwasekusithi phose emva kwenyanga ezintathu kwaziswa kuJuda ukuthi: UTamari umalokazana wakhe ufebile, futhi khangela-ke, ulesisu sokufetshwa. UJuda wasesithi: Mkhupheni atshiswe.

Then about three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has had sex like a prostitute and now as a result she's pregnant!” “Bring her out and burn her to death!” Judah ordered.

25 Esekhutshiwe, yena wathumela kuyisezala, esithi: Ngoniwe yindoda engumnini walezizinto. Wathi futhi: Ake uhlolisise ukuthi ngezikabani lezizinto, indandatho elophawu lezintambo lodondolo.

As she was brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, saying, “I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things.” Then she added, “Please look carefully at this signet seal and its cord and walking stick. Who do they belong to?”

26 UJuda wasezivuma wathi: Ulungile kulami, ngakho njengoba ngingamnikanga uShela indodana yami. Njalo kabanga esamazi futhi.

Judah recognized them right away and said, “She has honored the law more than I have, because I didn't give her in marriage to my son Shelah.” He didn't sleep with Tamar again.

27 Kwasekusithi esikhathini sokubeletha kwakhe, khangela-ke, amaphahla ayesesiswini sakhe.

When the time came for Tamar to give birth, she was found to be carrying twins.

28 Kwasekusithi ekubeletheni kwakhe, elinye lakhupha isandla; umbelethisi wasithatha, wabopha intambo ebomvu esandleni salo, esithi: Lo uzaphuma kuqala.

One baby put out his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”

29 Kodwa kwathi lifinyeza isandla salo, khangela-ke umfowabo waphuma; wasesithi: Ufohle njani? Ukufohla kakube phezu kwakho. Wasemutha ibizo lakhe uPerezi.

But then he pulled back his hand and his brother was born, she said, “How did you burst out?” So he was named Perez.

30 Emva kwalokhu kwasekuphuma umfowabo owayelentambo ebomvu esandleni sakhe; wasemutha ibizo lakhe uZera.

Then his brother with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born. He was named Zerah.