Genesis 38

1And 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.

1Around that time, Judah left his brothers and went to stay with a man from Adullam named Hirah.

2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.

2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and slept with her.

3And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

3She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er.

4And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

4She became pregnant again and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.

5And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

5She had another son and named him Shelah. She was at Chezib when he was born.

6And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar.

6Judah chose a wife named Tamar for his oldest son, Er.

7And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah slew him.

7But Er, Judah’s oldest son, was wicked in the LORD's sight, so the LORD took his life.

8And 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.

8Then Judah said to Onan, 'Marry your brother’s widow and do your duty as a brother-in-law to her to provide children for your brother.'

9And 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.

9But Onan knew that any children born would not belong to him. So whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from giving his brother an heir.

10And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also.

10What he did was evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD took his life as well.

11Then 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.

11Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, 'Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.' He said this because he was afraid Shelah might die just like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father’s home.

12And 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.

12A long time later, Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to see the men who were shearing his sheep.

13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep.

13Someone told Tamar, 'Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.'

14And 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 unto him to wife.

14She took off her widow’s clothes, covered her face with a veil to hide her identity, and sat by the road at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. She did this because she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she still had not been given to him in marriage.

15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because her face was covered.

16And 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?

16He went over to her by the roadside and said, 'Let me sleep with you,' not realizing she was his daughter-in-law. 'What will you give me to sleep with you?' she asked.

17And 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?

17'I will send you a young goat from my flock,' he promised. She replied, 'Will you give me something as a guarantee until you send it?'

18And 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.

18He asked, 'What should I give you as a guarantee?' She answered, 'Your seal and its cord, and the walking stick you are carrying.' So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

19And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

19Later she got up and left, took off her veil, and put her widow’s clothes back on.

20And 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.

20Judah sent his friend the Adullamite with the young goat to get his belongings back from the woman, but he could not find her.

21Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There hath been no prostitute here.

21He asked the men who lived there, 'Where is the shrine prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?' They answered, 'There hasn't been a prostitute here.'

22And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, There hath been no prostitute here.

22He went back to Judah and said, 'I couldn't find her. Even the men who live there said there hasn't been a prostitute in that place.'

23And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

23Judah said, 'Let her keep the things, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did try to send this goat, but you couldn't find her.'

24And 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 whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

24About three months later, Judah was told, 'Your daughter-in-law Tamar has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant because of it.' Judah said, 'Bring her out and let her be burned to death!'

25When 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.

25As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law: 'I am pregnant by the man who owns these things. See if you recognize whose seal, cord, and walking stick these are.'

26And 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.

26Judah recognized them and said, 'She is more right than I am, since I didn't give her to my son Shelah.' And he did not sleep with her again.

27And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

27When the time came for her to give birth, it was discovered that she was having twins.

28And 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.

28While she was in labor, one of them reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a bright red string around his wrist, saying, 'This one came out first.'

29And 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.

29But when he pulled his hand back, his brother was born first. She said, 'How did you break through first?' So he was named Perez.

30And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah.

30Then his brother, who had the red string on his hand, was born, and he was named Zerah.