1 ¶ And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brethren and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

Judah went away from his brothers at that time. He visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.

2 A nd Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah, and he took her and went in unto her.

There Judah saw a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her as his wife and lived with her.

3 A nd she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he called his name Er.

And she was going to have a child and gave birth to a son. He gave him the name Er.

4 A nd she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she called his name Onan.

Then she was going to have another child and she gave birth to a son. She gave him the name Onan.

5 A nd she yet again conceived and gave birth to a son and called his name Shelah. And he was at Chezib, when she gave birth to him.

Then she gave birth to another son at Chezib. And she gave him the name Shelah.

6 A nd Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

Judah chose a wife for his first-born son Er. Her name was Tamar.

7 A nd Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD and the LORD slew him.

But Er, Judah’s first-born, was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord took his life.

8 T hen Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife and marry her and raise up seed to thy brother.

Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife. Do your duty as her brother-in-law. Have children for your brother.”

9 A nd Onan knew that the seed would not be his, and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he corrupted it on the ground, to not give seed to his brother.

But Onan knew that the children would not be his. So when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground to keep his brother from having children.

10 A nd the thing which he did displeased the LORD, and he slew him also.

What he did was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord took his life also.

11 T hen Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house until Shelah, my son, is grown; for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Stay in your father’s house as a woman whose husband has died, until my son Shelah is grown.” For he thought, “I am afraid that he also may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

12 ¶ And many days passed and Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shuah, died; and Judah was comforted and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.

Now after a long time, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. And after the time of sorrow, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went to the men who cut the wool from his sheep at Timnah.

13 A nd it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goes up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

It was told to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to cut the wool from his sheep.”

14 A nd she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself and sat by the gate to the waters by the way to Timnath, for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

So she took off the clothes of a woman whose husband has died and put on other clothes and covered her face with cloth. Then she sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown, and she had not been given to him for a wife.

15 W hen Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot because she had covered her face.

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a woman who sold the use of her body. For she had covered her face.

16 A nd he turned unto her by the way and said, Come now, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee (for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law). And she said, What wilt thou give me that thou may come in unto me?

He went to her at the side of the road, and said, “Here now, let me come in to you.” He did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me to come in to me?”

17 A nd he said, I will send thee from the sheep a kid from the goats. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge until thou send it?

He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give something as a promise until you send it?”

18 T hen he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet and thy mantel and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

He said, “What should I give you as a promise?” And she said, “The ring you use to mark your name, and its string, and the stick that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her. And she was going to have a baby by him.

19 A nd she arose and went away and took off her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

Then she got up and left. She took off the cloth that covered her, and put on the clothes worn by a woman whose husband has died.

20 A nd Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand; but he did not find her.

Judah sent his friend the Adullamite to bring the young goat to the woman and take from her the things he had given as a promise. But he did not find her.

21 T hen he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the cult prostitute of the waters by the way side? And they said, There was no cult prostitute in this place.

He asked the men of the place, “Where is the woman who was selling the use of her body beside the road at Enaim?” They said, “There has been no woman selling the use of her body here.”

22 A nd he returned to Judah and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said that there was no cult prostitute in this place.

So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her. The men of the place said, ‘There has been no woman selling the use of her body here.’”

23 A nd Judah said, Let her take the things for herself lest we be shamed; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

Then Judah said, “Let her keep the things, or else we will be laughed at. I sent the young goat, and you did not find her.”

24 ¶ And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar, thy daughter-in-law, has played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth and let her be burnt.

About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has sold the use of her body. She is going to have a baby by doing this sinful thing.” Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

25 W hen she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man whose these are, am I with child; and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet and mantel and staff.

When she was brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “I am going to have a baby by the man who owns these things.” She said, “Look and see, who owns this ring for marking a name, and this string and stick?”

26 T hen Judah acknowledged them, and said, She has been more righteous than I because I did not give her to Shelah, my son. And he knew her again no more.

Judah saw that they belonged to him. He said, “She is more right than I, because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not lie with her again.

27 A nd it came to pass in the time of her travail that, behold, twins were in her womb.

When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were two babies.

28 A nd it came to pass when she travailed, that the one put out his hand, and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

While she was giving birth, one put out a hand. The nurse took his hand and tied a red string around it, saying, “This one came out first.”

29 A nd it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out; and she said, Why hast thou brought this breach upon thee? Therefore his name was called Pharez.

But when he pulled away his hand, his brother was born. Then she said, “What an opening you have made for yourself!” So he was given the name of Perez.

30 A nd afterward his brother that had the scarlet thread upon his hand came out, and his name was called Zarah.

After that, his brother came out with the red string around his hand. He was given the name Zerah.