Genesis 38:12-23

12But 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.

13Tamar was told, “Listen, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

14So 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].

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a [temple] prostitute, for she had covered her face [as such women did].

16He 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?”

17He 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?”

18He 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.

19Then she got up and left, and removed her veil and put on her widow’s clothing.

20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to get his pledge [back] from the woman, he was unable to find her.

21He 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.”

22So he returned to Judah, and said, “I cannot find her; also the local men said, ‘There was no prostitute around here.’ ”

23Then 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.”