Genesis 38

Now at that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to [stay with] a certain Adullamite named Hirah.

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.

There Judah saw a daughter of Shua, a Canaanite, and he took her [as his wife] and lived with her.

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

So she conceived and gave birth to a son and Judah named him Er.

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

Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.

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

Again she conceived and gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

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

Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him [in judgment].

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.

Then Judah told Onan, “Go in to your brother’s widow, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law [under the levirate marriage custom]; [be her husband and] raise children for [the name of] your brother.”

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

Onan knew that the child (heir) would not be his [but his dead brother’s]; so whenever he lay with his brother’s widow, he spilled his seed on the ground [to prevent conception], so that he would not give a child to his brother.

And Onan knew that the seed should 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 that he should give seed to his brother.

But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; therefore He killed him also [in judgment].

And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.

Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow at your father’s house until Shelah my [youngest] son is grown”; [but he was deceiving her] for he thought that [if Shelah should marry her] he too might die like his brothers did. So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

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

^[a]But quite a while later, Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself up [in disguise], and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife [as Judah had promised].

And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a [temple] prostitute, for she had covered her face [as such women did].

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

He turned to her by the road, and said, “Please come, let me lie with you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may lie with me?”

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, 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?

He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “Will you give me a pledge [as a deposit] until you send it?”

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

He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She said, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and was intimate with her, and she conceived by him.

And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

Then she got up and left, and removed her veil and put on her widow’s clothing.

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to get his pledge [back] from the woman, he was unable to find her.

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

He asked the men of that place, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the roadside at Enaim?” They said, “There was no prostitute here.”

Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

So he returned to Judah, and said, “I cannot find her; also the local men said, ‘There was no prostitute around here.’”

And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

Then Judah said, “Let her keep the things (pledge articles) for herself, otherwise we will be a laughingstock [searching everywhere for her]. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

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

About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the [role of a] prostitute, and she is with child because of her immorality.” So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned [to death as punishment]!”

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 also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

While she was being brought out, she [took the things Judah had given her and] sent [them along with a message] to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these articles belong.” And she added, “Please examine [them carefully] and see [clearly] to whom these things belong, the seal and the cord and staff.”

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 bracelets, and staff.

Judah recognized the articles, and said, “She has been more righteous [in this matter] than I, because I did not give her to my son Shelah [as I had promised].” And Judah did not have [intimate] relations with her again.

And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

Now when the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

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

And when she was in labor, one [baby] put out his hand, and the midwife took his hand and tied a scarlet thread on it, saying, “This one was born first.”

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

But he pulled back his hand, and his brother was born first. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself [to be the firstborn]!” So he was named Perez (breach, break forth).

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

Afterward his brother who had the scarlet [thread] on his hand was born and was named Zerah (brightness).

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