‏ Genesis 38

CHAPTER 38

Judah and Tamar

1And it came to pass in   that time, Judah went from   his brothers, and he arrived unto before a certain man of Adullam, whose name was  Hirah. 2And [²saw ³there ¹Judah] a daughter of a Canaanite man, whose name was  Shuah. And he took her, and entered to her. 3And she conceived and bore a son, and she called   his name, Er. 4And she conceived and bore a son still again, and she called   his name, Onan. 5And adding she bore a son, and she called   his name, Shelah. And she was in Chezib when she bore them. 6And Judah took a wife for  Er   his first-born, whose name was Tamar. 7And it came to pass Er the first-born of Judah was wicked before the lord; and [²killed ³him   ¹God]. 8[³said ¹And ²Judah]   to Onan, Enter to the wife   of your brother, and ally to her by marriage, and raise up seed to your brother! 9[³knowing ¹And ²Onan] that [⁴not ⁶his ³will ⁵be ¹the ²seed] -- that it came to pass whenever he entered to   [²wife   ¹his brother's], he discharged upon the ground,   to not give seed to his brother. 10[³wicked ¹And ²it appeared] before   God that he did this; and he put to death also this one. 11[³said ¹And ²Judah] to Tamar   his daughter-in-law, You sit as a widow in the house   of your father! until [⁴older ³becomes ¹Shelah   ²my son]. For he said, Lest at any time [³should die ²also ¹this one] as also   his brothers. [³going forth ¹And ²Tamar] settled in the house   of her father. 12[⁴multiplied ¹And ²the ³days], and [⁵died ¹Shuah ²the ³wife ⁴of Judah]. And being comforted, Judah ascended to the shearing   of his sheep, himself and Hirah   his shepherd the Adullamite, unto Timnath. 13And it was reported to Tamar   his daughter-in-law, saying, Behold,   your father-in-law ascends to Timnath, to shear   his sheep. 14And removing the garments of the widowhood from herself, she put around a lightweight covering, and bedecked herself, and sat by the gates of Enaim, which is in the byway of Timnath. For she knew that [³older ²was ¹Shelah], but he did not give her to him as wife. 15And [²seeing ³her ¹Judah], assumed her to be a harlot. For she covered up   her face, and [³not ¹he recognized ²her]. 16And he turned aside to her in the way. And he said to her, Allow me to enter to you. For he did not know that [²his daughter-in-law ¹she is]. And she said, What will you give to me, if you should enter to me? 17And he said, I will send to you a kid of the goats from out of   my flocks. And she said, You should give a deposit until   you send it. 18And he said, What   deposit shall I give to you?   And she said,   Your ring, and the pendant, and the rod   in   your hand. And he gave them  to her, and he entered to her. And [²in ³the womb ¹she conceived] from him. 19And rising up she went forth. And she removed   her lightweight garment from herself, and put on the garments   of her widowhood. 20[³sent ¹And ²Judah] the kid of the goats by the hand   of his shepherd the Adullamite, to deliver by him  to the woman the deposit. And he did not find her. 21And he asked the men   of the place, Where is the harlot, the one  being in Enaim upon the way? And they said, There was no [²here ¹harlot]. 22And he returned to Judah, and said, I did not find her, and the men, the ones from the place, say, There was no [²here ¹harlot]. 23[³said ¹And ²Judah], Let her have them, but lest at any time we should be ridiculed, I indeed sent   this kid, but you have not found her. 24And it came to pass after three months, it was announced   to Judah, saying, [³fornicated ¹Tamar   ²your daughter-in-law]. And behold, [²in ³the womb ¹she has one] out of harlotry. [³said ¹And ²Judah], Lead her out, and let her be incinerated! 25[³her ¹And ²while leading], she sent to   her father-in-law, saying, From the man whom these things  are I [²in ³the womb ¹have one]. And she said, Recognize whose   ring and   pendant and   rod these are! 26[³realized ¹And ²Judah], and said, Tamar has done justice rather than I, because I did not give her Shelah   my son. And he did not add any longer   to know her. 27And it came to pass when she was bearing, that thus there were twins in   her womb. 28And it came to pass in   her bearing, the one put forth first the hand. And taking it, the midwife tied upon   his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This one  will come forth prior. 29And as he retracted the hand,   straightway came forth   his brother.   And she said, Why was [²cut ³because of ⁴you ¹the barrier]? And she called   his name, Pharez. 30And after this came forth   his brother, of which was upon   his hand the scarlet thread. And she called   his name Zarah.