Genesis 38

Judah and Tamar

(1 Chronicles 2:3–4)

1AboutH1961 thatH1931 timeH6256, JudahH3063H854 leftH3381 his brothersH251 and settledH5186 nearH5704 a manH376 namedH8034 HirahH2437, an AdullamiteH5726. 2ThereH8033 JudahH3063 sawH7200 the daughterH1323 of a CanaaniteH3669 manH376 namedH8034 ShuaH7770, and he took her as a wifeH3947 and slept withH935 herH413. 3So she conceivedH2029 and gave birth toH3205 a sonH1121, and Judah namedH7121 himH8034 ErH6147. 4AgainH5750 she conceivedH2029 and gave birth toH3205 a sonH1121, and she namedH7121 himH8034 OnanH209. 5Then she gave birth toH3205 anotherH3254H5750 sonH1121 and namedH7121 himH8034 ShelahH7956; it wasH1961 at ChezibH3580 that she gave birth to himH3205.

6Now JudahH3063 acquiredH3947 a wifeH802 for ErH6147, his firstbornH1060, and her nameH8034 was TamarH8559. 7ButH1961 ErH6147, Judah’sH3063 firstbornH1060, was wickedH7451 in the sightH5869 of the LORDH3068; so the LORDH3068 put him to deathH4191. 8Then JudahH3063 saidH559 to OnanH209, “Sleep withH935H413 your brother’sH251 wifeH802. Perform your duty as her brother-in-lawH2992 and raise upH6965 offspringH2233 for your brotherH251.”

9But OnanH209 knewH3045 thatH3588 the offspringH2233H1961 would notH3808 belongH1961 to him; so wheneverH518 he would sleep withH935H413 his brother’sH251 wifeH802, he would spill his seedH7843 on the groundH776 so that he would notH1115 produceH5414 offspringH2233 for his brotherH251. 10WhatH834 he didH6213 was wickedH7489 in the sightH5869 of the LORDH3068, so He put Onan to deathH4191 as wellH1571.

11Then JudahH3063 saidH559 to his daughter-in-lawH3618 TamarH8559, “LiveH3427 as a widowH490 in your father’sH1 houseH1004 untilH5704 my sonH1121 ShelahH7956 grows upH1431.” ForH3588 he thoughtH559, “HeH1931 mayH6435 dieH4191 tooH1571, like his brothersH251.” So TamarH8559 wentH1980 to liveH3427 in her father’sH1 houseH1004.

12After a longH7235 timeH3117 Judah’sH3063 wifeH802, the daughterH1323 of ShuaH7770, diedH4191. When JudahH3063 had finished mourningH5162, heH1931 and his friendH7453 HirahH2437 the AdullamiteH5726 went upH5927 toH5921 his sheepshearersH1494H6629 at TimnahH8553. 13When TamarH8559H559H2009 was toldH5046, “Your father-in-lawH2524 is going upH5927 to TimnahH8553 to shearH1494 his sheepH6629,” 14she removedH5493 herH5921 widow’sH491 garmentsH899, covered her faceH5968 with a veilH6809 to disguise herselfH3680, and satH3427 at the entranceH6607 to EnaimH5879, whichH834 is onH5921 the wayH1870 to TimnahH8553. ForH3588 she sawH7200 thatH3588 although ShelahH7956 had grown upH1431, sheH1931 had notH3808 been givenH5414 to him as a wifeH802.

15When JudahH3063 saw herH7200, he thoughtH2803 she was a prostituteH2181 becauseH3588 she had coveredH3680 her faceH6440. 16NotH3808 realizingH3045 thatH3588 sheH1931 was his daughter-in-lawH3618, he went overH5186 to herH413 and saidH559, “ComeH3051 nowH4994, let me sleep withH935 youH413.”

“WhatH4100 will you giveH5414 me forH3588 sleeping withH935H413 youH413?” she inquiredH559.

17“IH595 will send youH7971 a young goatH1423H5795 fromH4480 my flockH6629,” Judah answeredH559.

But she repliedH559, “Only ifH518 you leave meH5414 something as a pledgeH6162 untilH5704 you send itH7971.”

18“WhatH4100 pledgeH6162 should I giveH5414 you?” he askedH559.

She answeredH559, “Your sealH2368 and your cordH6616, and the staffH4294 in your handH3027.” So he gave themH5414 to her and slept withH935 herH413, and she became pregnantH2029 by him. 19Then Tamar got upH6965 and departedH1980. And she removedH5493 her veilH6809H5921 and put on her widow’sH491 garmentsH899 againH3847.

20Now when JudahH3063 sentH7971 his friendH7453 Hirah the AdullamiteH5726 withH3027 the young goatH1423H5795 to collectH3947 the items he had left withH6162H3027 the womanH802, he could notH3808 find herH4672. 21He askedH7592 the menH582 of that placeH4725, “WhereH346 is the shrine prostituteH6948 whoH1931 was besideH5921 the roadH1870 at EnaimH5879?”

“NoH3808 shrine prostituteH6948 has beenH1961 hereH2088,” they answeredH559.

22So Hirah returnedH7725 toH413 JudahH3063 and saidH559, “I could notH3808 find herH4672, and furthermoreH1571, the menH582 of that placeH4725 saidH559, ‘NoH3808 shrine prostituteH6948 has beenH1961 hereH2088.’”

23“Let her keep the itemsH3947,” JudahH3063 repliedH559. “OtherwiseH6435 we will becomeH1961 a laughingstockH937.1 After allH2009, I did send herH7971 thisH2088 young goatH1423, but youH859 could notH3808 find herH4672.”

24AboutH1961 threeH7969 months laterH2320, JudahH3063 was toldH5046, “Your daughter-in-lawH3618 TamarH8559 has prostituted herselfH2181, andH1571 nowH2009 she is pregnantH2030H2183.”

“Bring her outH3318!” JudahH3063 repliedH559. “Let her be burned to deathH8313!”

25As sheH1931 was being brought outH3318, Tamar sentH7971 a messageH559 to herH413 father-in-lawH2524: “I amH595 pregnantH2030 by the man to whomH834 these itemsH428 belong.” And she addedH559, “PleaseH4994 examine themH5234. WhoseH4310 sealH2858 and cordH6616 and staffH4294 are theseH428?”

26JudahH3063 recognizedH5234 the items and saidH559, “She is more righteousH6663 than IH4480, sinceH3588H5921H3651 I did notH3808 give herH5414 to my sonH1121 ShelahH7956.” And he did notH3808 have relations with herH3045 againH3254H5750.

The Birth of Perez and Zerah

27When the timeH6256 cameH1961 for Tamar to give birthH3205, thereH2009 were twinsH8380 in her wombH990. 28AndH1961 as she was giving birthH3205, one of them put outH5414 his handH3027; so the midwifeH3205 tookH3947 a scarlet threadH8144 and tiedH7194 it aroundH5921 his wristH3027. “ThisH2088 one came outH3318 firstH7223,” she announcedH559. 29But when he pulled his handH3027H2009 backH7725 and his brotherH251 came outH3318, she saidH559H4100, “You have broken out firstH6555H5921H6556!” So he was namedH7121H8034 PerezH6557.2 30ThenH310 his brotherH251 came outH3318 withH834 the scarlet threadH8144 aroundH5921 his wristH3027, and he was namedH7121H8034 ZerahH2226.3