UGenesisi 38
1 Kwasekusithi ngalesosikhathi uJuda wehla esuka kubafowabo, waphambukela endodeni yeAdulamu, obizo layo linguHira.
At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2 UJuda wasebona lapho indodakazi yendoda umKhanani, obizo lakhe linguShuwa; wayithatha wangena kuyo.
There, Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite man named Shua. He took her, and went in to her.
3 Yasithatha isisu, yazala indodana; waseyitha ibizo layo uEri.
She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.
4 Yasiphinda ithatha isisu, yazala indodana; yayitha ibizo layo uOnani.
She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.
5 Yasisengezelela futhi yazala indodana, yayitha ibizo layo uShela; kodwa wayeseKezibi ekuyizaleni kwayo.
She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
6 UJuda wasemthathela uEri izibulo lakhe umfazi, njalo ibizo lakhe linguTamari.
Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7 Kodwa uEri, izibulo likaJuda, wayemubi emehlweni eNkosi; iNkosi yasimbulala.
Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight. So the LORD killed him.
8 UJuda wasesithi kuOnani: Ngena kumkamfowenu, wenze kuye imfanelo yomfowabo wendoda, umvusele umfowenu inzalo.
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.”
9 UOnani wayesazi-ke ukuthi inzalo kayiyikuba ngeyakhe. Kwasekusithi lapho engena kumkamfowabo, wayichithela emhlabathini, ukuze angamniki umfowabo inzalo.
Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t 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.
10 Kwasekusiba kubi emehlweni eNkosi lokho akwenzayo; ngakho yambulala laye.
The thing which he did was evil in the LORD’s sight, and he killed him also.
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 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.
12 Emva kwensuku ezinengi yafa indodakazi kaShuwa, umkaJuda. UJuda eseziduduzile, wenyukela kubagundi bezimvu zakhe eThiminathi, yena lomngane wakhe uHira umAdulamu.
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.
13 Kwasekusaziswa kuTamari ukuthi: Khangela, uyihlozala wenyukela eThiminathi ukugunda izimvu zakhe.
Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up 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.
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 wasn’t given to him as a wife.
15 Lapho uJuda esembonile, wacabanga ukuthi uliwule, ngoba embomboze ubuso bakhe.
When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16 Wasephambukela kuye endleleni wathi: Woza-ke, ngingene kuwe; ngoba wayengazi ukuthi ngumalokazana wakhe. Wasesithi: Uzanginikani ukuze ungene kimi?
He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 Wasesithi: Mina ngizathumela izinyane lembuzi elivela emhlanjini. Wasesithi: Uzanginika isibambiso uze ulithumele yini?
He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?”
18 Wasesithi: Sibambiso bani engizakunika sona? Wasesithi: Indandatho elophawu lwakho, lentambo yakho, lodondolo lwakho olusesandleni sakho. Wasemupha, wangena kuye; wasethatha isisu sakhe.
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.
19 Wasesukuma wahamba, wakhulula isimbombozo sakhe, wafaka izembatho zobufelokazi bakhe.
She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 UJuda wasethumela izinyane lembuzi ngesandla somngane wakhe umAdulamu ukuze athathe isibambiso esandleni sowesifazana; kodwa kamtholanga.
Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her.
21 Wasebuza amadoda endawo yakowesifazana esithi: Lingaphi iwule elaliseEnayima endleleni? Asesithi: Kakuzanga kube khona iwule lapha.
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.”
22 Wasebuyela kuJuda wathi: Kangilitholanga, futhi lamadoda endawo athi: Kakuzanga kube khona iwule lapha.
He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”
23 UJuda wasesithi: Kalizithathele, hlezi sideleleke; khangela, ngithumele lelizinyane, kodwa wena kawumtholanga.
Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.”
24 Kwasekusithi phose emva kwenyanga ezintathu kwaziswa kuJuda ukuthi: UTamari umalokazana wakhe ufebile, futhi khangela-ke, ulesisu sokufetshwa. UJuda wasesithi: Mkhupheni atshiswe.
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 burnt.”
25 Esekhutshiwe, yena wathumela kuyisezala, esithi: Ngoniwe yindoda engumnini walezizinto. Wathi futhi: Ake uhlolisise ukuthi ngezikabani lezizinto, indandatho elophawu lezintambo lodondolo.
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.”
26 UJuda wasezivuma wathi: Ulungile kulami, ngakho njengoba ngingamnikanga uShela indodana yami. Njalo kabanga esamazi futhi.
Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.
27 Kwasekusithi esikhathini sokubeletha kwakhe, khangela-ke, amaphahla ayesesiswini sakhe.
In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 Kwasekusithi ekubeletheni kwakhe, elinye lakhupha isandla; umbelethisi wasithatha, wabopha intambo ebomvu esandleni salo, esithi: Lo uzaphuma kuqala.
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.”
29 Kodwa kwathi lifinyeza isandla salo, khangela-ke umfowabo waphuma; wasesithi: Ufohle njani? Ukufohla kakube phezu kwakho. Wasemutha ibizo lakhe uPerezi.
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.
30 Emva kwalokhu kwasekuphuma umfowabo owayelentambo ebomvu esandleni sakhe; wasemutha ibizo lakhe uZera.
Afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
