Genesis 38

1 It happened at that time that Judah moved away from his brothers and stayed with an Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.NHEB — Genesis 38:1

2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite whose name was Shua. And he married her and slept with her.NHEB — Genesis 38:2

3 She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er.NHEB — Genesis 38:3

4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.NHEB — Genesis 38:4

5 Then she gave birth to another son, and named him Shelah. And he was at Kezib when she gave birth to him.NHEB — Genesis 38:5

6 And Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.NHEB — Genesis 38:6

7 Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so God killed him.NHEB — Genesis 38:7

8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."NHEB — Genesis 38:8

9 But Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his. So it happened when he slept with his brother’s wife that he released his semen on the ground, so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.NHEB — Genesis 38:9

10 And what he did was evil in the sight of God, so he killed him also.NHEB — Genesis 38:10

11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah is grown up." For he thought, "I do not want him to die too, like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.NHEB — Genesis 38:11

12 After some time, Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah finished mourning, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.NHEB — Genesis 38:12

13 And Tamar was told, saying, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."NHEB — Genesis 38:13

14 She took off her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.NHEB — Genesis 38:14

15 When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.NHEB — Genesis 38:15

16 He went over to her by the road and said, "Please come, let me sleep with you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me for sleeping with you?"NHEB — Genesis 38:16

17 He said, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, "Will you give me something as a guarantee until you send it?"NHEB — Genesis 38:17

18 He said, "What kind of guarantee should I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her, and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.NHEB — Genesis 38:18

19 And she got up and left, and took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing.NHEB — Genesis 38:19

20 Judah sent the young goat by his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the guarantee back from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her.NHEB — Genesis 38:20

21 Then he asked the men of the place, saying, "Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim by the road?" They said, "There has been no prostitute here."NHEB — Genesis 38:21

22 He returned to Judah, and said, "I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, 'There has been no prostitute here.'"NHEB — Genesis 38:22

23 Judah said, "Let her keep the things, lest we be publicly shamed. Look, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her."NHEB — Genesis 38:23

24 Now it happened about three months later that Judah was told, saying, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has turned to prostitution, and now, look, she is pregnant by prostitution." Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."NHEB — Genesis 38:24

25 When she was brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man who owns these I am pregnant." She also said, “Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cord, and the staff."NHEB — Genesis 38:25

26 Then Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." He did not sleep with her again.NHEB — Genesis 38:26

27 It happened when it was time for her to give birth, that look, there were twins in her womb.NHEB — Genesis 38:27

28 As she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, "This one came out first."NHEB — Genesis 38:28

29 It happened, as he drew back his hand, that look, his brother came out, and she said, "How did you break through?" So he was named Perez.NHEB — Genesis 38:29

30 Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, so he was named Zerah.NHEB — Genesis 38:30