Gen 38
1
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
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. And he
took her, and went in to her.
3
And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5
And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when
she bare him.
6
And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar.
7
And Er, Judah`s first-born, was wicked in the sight of YHWH. And YHWH slew him.
8
And 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 seed to your brother.
9
And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in
to his brother`s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed
to his brother.
10
And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of YHWH: and he slew him also.
11
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your 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
And in process of time Shua`s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted,
and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13
And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear
his sheep.
14
And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her
veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah;
for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given to him to wife.
15
When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face.
16
And he turned to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray you, let me come in to you:
for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give
me, that you may come in to me?
17
And he said, I will send you a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Will
you give me a pledge, till you send it?
18
And he said, What pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your signet and your cord,
and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her, and came in to her,
and she conceived by him.
19
And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments
of her widowhood.
20
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
Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim
by the wayside? And they said, There has been no prostitute here.
22
And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the
place said, There has been no prostitute here.
23
And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this
kid, and you have not found her.
24
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar
your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child
by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
25
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 you, whose are these, the
signet, and the cords, and the staff.
26
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I; seeing that as
I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
27
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28
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
And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out:
and she said, Wherefore have you made a breach for yourself? Therefore his name was
called Perez.
30
And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and
his name was called Zerah.