And it came about at that time
, that Judah
1departed
from his brothers
and 2visited
a certain
aAdullamite
, whose name
was Hirah
.
Judah saw
there
a daughter
of a certain
Canaanite
whose name
was aShua
; and he took
her and went
in to her.
So she conceived and bore
a son
and he named
him aEr
.
Then she conceived again
and bore
a son
and named
him aOnan
.
She bore still
another
son
and named
him aShelah
; and it was at Chezib
1that she bore
him.
Now Judah took
a wife
for Er
his firstborn
, and her name
was Tamar
.
But aEr, Judah's
firstborn
, was evil
in the sight
of the LORD
, so the LORD
took
his life
.
Then Judah said
to Onan
, " aGo
in to your brother's
wife
, and perform
your duty
as a brother-in-law
to her, and raise
up 1offspring
for your brother
."
Onan knew
that the 1 aoffspring
would not be his; so when
he went
in to his brother's
wife
, he 2wasted
his seed on the ground
in order not to give
1offspring
to his brother
.
But what he did
was displeasing
in the sight
of the LORD
; so He atook
his life
also
.
Then Judah said
to his daughter-in-law
Tamar
, " aRemain
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
.
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 aTimnah
, he and his friend
Hirah
the Adullamite
.
It was told to Tamar
, " 1Behold
, your father-in-law
is going
up to aTimnah
to shear
his sheep
."
So she 1removed her widow's
garments
and acovered
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 bshe had not been given
to him as a wife
.
When Judah saw
her, he thought
she was a harlot
, for she had covered
her face
.
So he turned aside
to her by the road
, and said
, " 1Here
now
, let me come
in to you"; for he did not know
that she was his daughter-in-law
. And she said
, "What
will you give
me, that you may come
in to me?"
He said, therefore, "I will send
you a 1young
goat
from the flock
." She said
, moreover, "Will you give
a pledge
until
you send
it?"
He said, "What
pledge
shall I give
you?" And she said
, " aYour seal
and your cord
, and your staff
that is in your hand
." So he gave
them to her and went
in to her, and she conceived
by him.
Then she arose and departed
, and 1removed
her 2veil
and put
on her widow's
garments
.
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.
He asked the men
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
."
So he returned to Judah
, and said
, "I did not find
her; and furthermore
, the men
of the place
said
, `There has been
no
temple
prostitute
here
.' "
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."
Now it was about three months
later that Judah
was informed
, " 1Your daughter-in-law
Tamar
has played
the harlot
, and behold
, she is also
with child
by harlotry
." Then Judah
said
, "Bring
her out and alet her be burned
!"
It was while she was being brought out that she sent
to her father-in-law
, saying
, "I am with child
by the man
to whom
these
things
belong." And she said
, " aPlease
examine
and see
, whose
signet
ring
and cords
and staff
are these
?"
Judah recognized
them, and said
, " aShe is more
righteous
than
I, inasmuch
as bI did not give
her to my son
Shelah
." And he did not 1have
relations
with her again
.
It came about at the time
she was giving
birth
, that behold
, there were atwins
in her womb
.
Moreover, it took place
while she was giving
birth
, one put
out a hand
, and the midwife
took
and tied
a scarlet
thread on his hand
, saying
, "This
one
came
out first
."
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
1 aPerez
.
Afterward his brother
came
out who
had the scarlet
thread on his hand
; and he was named
1 aZerah
.