1 O r in quel tempo avvenne che Giuda lasciò i suoi fratelli per andare a stare con un uomo di Adullam, di nome Hirah.

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

2 Q ui Giuda vide la figlia di un uomo Cananeo, chiamato Shua; la prese in moglie e si unì a lei.

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

3 E d ella concepì e partorì un figlio, che egli chiamò Er.

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

4 P oi ella concepì nuovamente e partorì un figlio, che egli chiamò Onan.

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

5 E lla concepì ancora e partorì un figlio, che chiamò Scelah. Or Giuda era a Kezib, quando ella lo partorì.

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

6 P oi Giuda prese per Er, suo primogenito, una moglie di nome Tamar.

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

7 M a Er, primogenito di Giuda, era malvagio agli occhi dell'Eterno, e l'Eterno lo fece morire.

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

8 A llora Giuda disse a Onan: «Va' dalla moglie di tuo fratello, sposala e suscita una discendenza a tuo fratello».

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 M a Onan, sapendo che quella discendenza non sarebbe stata sua, quando si univa alla moglie di suo fratello, disperdeva il suo seme per terra, per non dare discendenza al fratello.

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 C iò che egli faceva dispiacque agli occhi dell'Eterno, che fece morire anche lui.

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

11 A llora Giuda disse a Tamar sua nuora: «Rimani come vedova in casa di tuo padre, finché mio figlio Scelah sia cresciuto». Perché pensava: «Temo che muoia anch'egli come i suoi fratelli». Cosi Tamar se ne andò e dimorò in casa di suo padre.

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 D opo parecchio tempo, la moglie di Giuda, la figlia di Shua, morì; quando ebbe terminato il cordoglio, Giuda salì da quelli che tosavano le sue pecore a Timnah, egli col suo amico Hirah, l'Adullamita.

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 D i questo fu informata Tamar, e le fu detto: «ecco, tuo suocero sale a Timnah a tosare le sue pecore».

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

14 A llora ella si tolse le vesti da vedova, si coperse con un velo e si avvolse tutta; poi si pose a sedere alla porta di Enaim, che è sulla strada verso Timnah; aveva infatti visto che Scelah era ormai cresciuto. ma lei non gli era stata data in moglie.

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 C ome Giuda la vide. pensò che ella fosse una prostituta, perché aveva il viso coperto.

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

16 Q uindi egli si accostò a lei sulla strada e le disse: «Lasciami entrare da te». Non sapeva infatti che ella fosse sua nuora. Lei rispose: «Che mi darai per entrare da 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 llora egli disse: «Ti manderò un capretto del mio gregge». Ella chiese: «Mi dai un pegno finché me lo manderai?».

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 E gli disse: «Che pegno ti devo dare?». Quella rispose: «Il tuo sigillo, il tuo cordone e il bastone che hai in mano». Egli glieli diede, entrò da lei, ed ella concepì da lui.

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 P oi ella si levò e se ne andò; si tolse il velo e si rimise le sue vesti da vedova.

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 O r Giuda mandò il capretto per mezzo del suo amico, l'Adullamita, per poter ritirare il pegno dalle mani di quella donna; ma egli non la trovò.

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 A llora domandò agli uomini del luogo dicendo: «Dov'è quella prostituta che stava a Enaim, sulla strada?». Essi risposero: «Non c'era alcuna prostituta qui».

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 C osì egli ritornò da Giuda e gli disse: «Non l'ho trovata; inoltre gli uomini del luogo mi hanno detto: "Non c'era alcuna prostituta qui».

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 llora Giuda disse: «Si tenga pure il pegno, che non abbiamo a incorrere nel disprezzo. Ecco, io ho mandato questo capretto e tu non l'hai trovata».

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 O ra circa tre mesi dopo vennero a dire a Giuda: «Tamar tua nuora si è prostituita; e, a motivo della sua prostituzione, ella è pure incinta». Allora Giuda disse: «Conducetela fuori e sia arsa!».

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 C ome la conducevano fuori, ella mandò a dire al suocero: «E' l'uomo a cui appartengono queste cose che mi ha resa incinta». E disse: «Vedi se puoi riconoscere di chi siano queste cose: il Sigillo, il cordone e il bastone».

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 G iuda li riconobbe e disse: «Ella é piú giusta di me, perché io non l'ho data a Scelah mio figlio». Ed egli non ebbe piú rapporti con lei.

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 Q uando venne il tempo in cui doveva partorire, ecco che le aveva in grembo due gemelli.

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

28 M entre partoriva, uno di essi mise fuori una mano, e la levatrice la prese e vi legò un filo scarlatto, dicendo: «Questo è uscito per primo».

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 M a egli ritirò la sua mano, ed uscì fuori suo fratello. Allora la levatrice disse: «Come ti sei aperto una breccia Per questo motivo Fu chiamato Perets.

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 P oi uscì suo fratello, che aveva attorno alla mano il filo scarlatto; e fu chiamato Zerah.

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