Genesis 38

1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a man of Adullam whose name was Hirah.

1At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.

1Now at that time, Judah went away from his brothers and became the friend of a man of Adullam named Hirah.

2And Judah saw there the daughter of a Canaanitish man whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to her.

2And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.

2And there he saw the daughter of a certain man of Canaan named Shua, and took her as his wife.

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

3And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.

3And she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Er.

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

4And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.

4And again she gave birth to a son, and he gave him the name Onan.

5And again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she bore him.

5She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.

5Then she had another son, to whom she gave the name Shelah; she was at Chezib when the birth took place.

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

6And Juda took a wife for Her, his first born, whose name was Thamar.

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

7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah slew him.

7And Her, the first born of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him.

7Now Er, Judah's first son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death.

8Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and fulfil to her the brother-in-law's duty, and raise up seed to thy brother.

8Juda, therefore, said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother's wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother.

8Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and do what it is right for a husband's brother to do; make her your wife and get offspring for your brother.

9But when Onan knew that the seed should not be his own, it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, in order to give no seed to his brother.

9He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother's wife, he spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother's name.

9But Onan, seeing that the offspring would not be his, went in to his brother's wife, but let his seed go on to the earth, so that he might not get offspring for his brother.

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

10And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing:

10And what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death, like his brother.

11And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, until Shelah my son is grown; for he said, Lest he die also, as his brethren. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.

11Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter-in-law: Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way, and dwelt in her father's house.

11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Go back to your father's house and keep yourself as a widow till my son Shelah becomes a man: for he had in his mind the thought that death might come to him as it had come to his brothers. So Tamar went back to her father's house.

12And as the days were multiplied, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheep-shearers, to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

12And after many days were past: the daughter of Sue the wife of Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite, the shepherd of his flock.

12And after a time, Bath-shua, Judah's wife, came to her end; and after Judah was comforted for her loss, he went to Timnah, where they were cutting the wool of his sheep, and his friend Hirah of Adullam went with him.

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

13And it was told Thamar that her father-in-law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep.

13And when Tamar had news that her father-in-law was going up to Timnah to the wool-cutting,

14And she put the garments of her widowhood off from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entry of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as wife.

14And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him.

14She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.

15And Judah saw her, and took her for a harlot; because she had covered her face.

15When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known.

15When Judah saw her he took her to be a loose woman of the town, because her face was covered.

16And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me go in to thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in to me?

16And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter-in-law. And she answered: What wilt thou give me to enjoy my company?

16And turning to her by the roadside, he said to her, Let me come in to you; for he had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me as my price?

17And he said, I will send [thee] a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give [me] a pledge, until thou send it?

17He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give me a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest.

17And he said, I will give you a young goat from the flock. And she said, What will you give me as a sign till you send it?

18And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy lace, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave [it] her, and went in to her; and she conceived by him.

18Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge? She answered: Thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The woman therefore at one copulation conceived.

18And he said, What would you have? And she said, Your ring and its cord and the stick in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became with child by him.

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

19And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood.

19Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.

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.

20And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her,

20Then Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat, to get back the things which he had given as a sign to the woman: but she was not there.

21And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim, by the way-side? And they said, There was no prostitute here.

21Asked the men of that place: Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place,

21And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.

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

22He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; moreover, the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there.

22So he went back to Judah, and said, I have not seen her, and the men of the place say that there is no such woman there.

23Then Judah said, Let her take [it] for herself, lest we be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

23Juda said: Let her take it to herself, surely she cannot charge us with a lie, I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her.

23And Judah said, Let her keep the things, so that we may not be shamed; I sent the young goat, but you did not see the woman.

24And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law has committed fornication, and behold, she is also with child by fornication. And Judah said, Bring her forth, that she may be burned.

24And behold, after three months, they told Juda, saying: Thamar, thy daughter-in-law, hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. And Juda said: Bring her out that she may be burnt.

24Now about three months after this, word came to Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had been acting like a loose woman and was with child. And Judah said, Take her out and let her be burned.

25When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these [belong] am I with child; and she said, Acknowledge, I pray thee, whose are this signet, and this lace, and this staff.

25But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.

25And while she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, The man whose property these things are, is the father of my child: say then, whose are this ring and this cord and this stick?

26And Judah acknowledged [them], and said, She is more righteous than I, because I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

26But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However he knew her no more.

26Then Judah said openly that they were his, and said, She is more upright than I am, for I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he had no more connection with her.

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

27And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying:

27And when the time came for her to give birth, it was clear that there were two children in her body.

28And it came to pass when she brought forth, that one stretched out [his] hand, and the midwife took it and bound round his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

28This shall come forth the first.

28And while she was in the act of giving birth, one of them put out his hand; and the woman who was with her put a red thread round his hand, 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, How hast thou broken forth! on thee be the breach! And they called his name Pherez.

29But he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman said: Why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his name Phares.

29But then he took his hand back again, and his brother came first to birth: and the woman said, What an opening you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez.

30And afterwards came out his brother, round whose hand was the scarlet thread; and they called his name Zerah.

30Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called his name Zara.

30And then his brother came out, with the red thread round his hand, and he was named Zerah.