Genesis 38

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

1And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Judah goeth down from his brethren, and turneth aside unto a man, an Adullamite, whose name <FI>is<Fi> Hirah;

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

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

2and Judah seeth there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name <FI>is<Fi> Shuah, and taketh her, and goeth 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 called his name Her.

3And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er;

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

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

4and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan;

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

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

5and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.

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

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

6And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name <FI>is<Fi> Tamar;

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

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

7and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death.

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

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.

8And Judah saith to Onan, `Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up 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.

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.

9and Onan knoweth that the seed is not <FI>reckoned<Fi> his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother's wife, that he hath destroyed <FI>it<Fi> to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother;

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

10and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death.

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

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.

11And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, `Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, `Lest he die--even he--like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at 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 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 the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.

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

13And it is declared to Tamar, saying, `Lo, thy husband's father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;'

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

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.

14and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which <FI>is<Fi> by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife.

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.

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

15And Judah seeth her, and reckoneth her for a harlot, for she hath covered her face,

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

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 he turneth aside unto her by the way, and saith, `Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee,' (for he hath not known that she <FI>is<Fi> his daughter-in-law); and she saith, `What dost thou give to me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'

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?

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 saith, `I--I send a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she saith, `Dost thou give a pledge till thou send <FI>it<Fi> ?'

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?

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 saith, `What <FI>is<Fi> the pledge that I give to thee?' and she saith, `Thy seal, and thy ribbon, and thy staff which <FI>is<Fi> in thy hand;' and he giveth to her, and goeth in unto her, and she conceiveth to him;

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

19and she riseth, and goeth, and turneth aside her vail from off her, and putteth 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 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,

20And Judah sendeth the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he hath not found 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.

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 asketh the men of her place, saying, `Where <FI>is<Fi> the separated one--she in Enayim, by the way?' and they say, `There hath not been in this <FI>place<Fi> a separated one.'

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.

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.

22And he turneth back unto Judah, and saith, `I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There hath not been in this <FI>place<Fi> a separated one,'

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.

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 saith, `Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found 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 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.

24And it cometh to pass about three months <FI>after<Fi> , that it is declared to Judah, saying, `Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath committed fornication; and also, lo, she hath conceived by fornication:' and Judah saith, `Bring her out--and she is 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.

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.

25She is brought out, and she hath sent unto her husband's father, saying, `To a man whose these <FI>are<Fi> , I <FI>am<Fi> pregnant;' and she saith, `Discern, I pray thee, whose <FI>are<Fi> these--the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.'

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?

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.

26And Judah discerneth and saith, `She hath been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to Shelah my son;' and he hath not added to know her again.

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 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 it cometh to pass in the time of her bearing, that lo, twins <FI>are<Fi> in her womb;

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

28This shall come forth the first.

28and it cometh to pass in her bearing, that <FI>one<Fi> giveth out a hand, and the midwife taketh and bindeth on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, `This hath come out 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.

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.

29And it cometh to pass as he draweth back his hand, that lo, his brother hath come out, and she saith, `What! thou hast broken forth--on thee <FI>is<Fi> the breach;' and he calleth his name Pharez;

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.

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

30and afterwards hath his brother come out, on whose hand <FI>is<Fi> the scarlet thread, and he calleth his name Zarah.

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