1 A nd it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a man of Adullam whose name was Hirah.

2 J udah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her.

And Judah saw there the daughter of a Canaanitish man whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to her.

3 S o she conceived and bore a son and he named him Er.

And she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Er.

4 T hen she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan.

And she again conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

5 S he bore still another son and named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him.

And again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she bore him.

6 N ow Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7 B ut Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life.

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah slew him.

8 T hen Judah said to Onan, “ Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”

Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and fulfil to her the brother-in-law's duty, and raise up seed to thy brother.

9 O nan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother.

But when Onan knew that the seed should not be his own, it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled on the ground, in order to give no seed to his brother.

10 B ut what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He took his life also.

And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and he slew him also.

11 T hen Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “ Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he thought, “ I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, until Shelah my son is grown; for he said, Lest he die also, as his brethren. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.

12 N ow after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

And as the days were multiplied, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheep-shearers, to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 I t was told to Tamar, “ Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.

14 S o she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

And she put the garments of her widowhood off from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entry of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as wife.

15 W hen Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.

And Judah saw her, and took her for a harlot; because she had covered her face.

16 S o he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “ Here 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?”

And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me go in to thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in to me?

17 H e said, therefore, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send it ?”

And he said, I will send a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give a pledge, until thou send it?

18 H e said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “ Your 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.

And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy lace, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave her, and went in to her; and she conceived by him.

19 T hen she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments.

And she arose and went away; and she laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 W hen Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her.

And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; but he found her not.

21 H e 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.”

And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim, by the way-side? And they said, There was no prostitute here.

22 S o 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.’”

And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, No prostitute has been here.

23 T hen Judah said, “Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

Then Judah said, Let her take for herself, lest we be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

24 N ow it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “ Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law has committed fornication, and behold, she is also with child by fornication. And Judah said, Bring her forth, that she may be burned.

25 I t 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, “ Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?”

When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these am I with child; and she said, Acknowledge, I pray thee, whose are this signet, and this lace, and this staff.

26 J udah recognized them, and said, “ She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.

And Judah acknowledged, and said, She is more righteous than I, because I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

27 I t came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.

And it came to pass at the time of her delivery, that behold, twins were in her womb.

28 M oreover, 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.”

And it came to pass when she brought forth, that one stretched out hand, and the midwife took it and bound round his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

29 B ut 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 Perez.

And it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, How hast thou broken forth! on thee be the breach! And they called his name Pherez.

30 A fterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.

And afterwards came out his brother, round whose hand was the scarlet thread; and they called his name Zerah.