38:1 And it came about at that time, that Judah ①departed from his brothers and ②visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
▷ ①Lit went down ②Lit turned aside to
38:2 Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her as a wife and had relations with her.
38:3 And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er.
38:4 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.
38:5 She gave birth to yet another son and named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib ①that she gave birth to him.
▷ ①Lit when
38:6 Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.
38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Have relations with your brother’s wife and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a ①child for your brother.”
▷ ①Lit seed
38:9 Now Onan knew that the ①child would not be his; so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he ②wasted his seed on the ground so that he would not give ③a child to his brother.
▷ ①Lit seed ②Lit spilled on the ground ③Lit seed
38:10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.
38:11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he ①thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
▷ ①Lit said
38:12 Now ①after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when ②the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
▷ ①Lit the days became many and ②Lit Judah was comforted, he
38:13 And Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
38:14 So she ①removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a ②veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of ③Enaim, 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.
▷ ①Lit removed from herself ②Or shawl ③In Josh 15:34, Enam
38:15 When Judah saw her, he assumed she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
38:16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “ ①Here now, let me have relations 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 have relations with me?”
▷ ①Or Come, now
38:17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a ①young goat from the flock.” She then said, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?”
▷ ①Lit kid of goats
38:18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had relations with her, and she conceived by him.
38:19 Then she got up and departed, and ①removed her ②veil and put on her widow’s garments.
▷ ①Lit removed from herself ②Or shawl
38:20 When Judah sent the ①young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her.
▷ ①Lit kid of goats by the hand of
38:21 He asked the people of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.”
38:22 So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the people of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’ ”
38:23 Then Judah said, “Let her ①keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. ②After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
▷ ①Lit take for herself ②Lit Behold
38:24 Now it was about three months later that Judah was ①informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and behold, she is also pregnant by prostitution.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned!”
▷ ①Lit informed, saying
38:25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong.” She also said, “Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?”
38:26 And Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not ①have relations with her again.
▷ ①Lit know her yet again
38:27 It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.
38:28 Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, that one baby put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”
38:29 But it came about as he drew back his hand that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named ①Perez.
▷ ①I.e., a breach
38:30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named ①Zerah.
▷ ①I.e., a dawning or brightness