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

At that time Judah withdrew from his brothers and went to a certain Adullamite named Hirah.

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

There Judah saw and met a daughter of Shuah, a Canaanite; he took her as wife and lived with her.

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

And she became pregnant and bore a son, and he called him Er.

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

And she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan.

5 T hen she gave birth to another son at Chezib. And she gave him the name Shelah.

Again she conceived and bore a son and named him Shelah. at Chezib when she bore him.

6 J udah chose a wife for his first-born son Er. Her name was Tamar.

Now Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn; her name was Tamar.

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

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

8 T hen Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife. Do your duty as her brother-in-law. Have children for your brother.”

Then Judah told Onan, Marry your brother’s widow; live with her and raise offspring for your brother.

9 B ut 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.

But Onan knew that the family would not be his, so when he cohabited with his brother’s widow, he prevented conception, lest he should raise up a child for his brother.

10 W hat he did was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord took his life also.

And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He slew him also.

11 T hen 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.

Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at your father’s house till Shelah my son is grown; for he thought, Lest perhaps he would die also, as his brothers did. So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

12 N ow 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.

But later Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shuah, died; and when Judah was comforted, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnath with his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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

Then it was told Tamar, Listen, your father-in-law is going up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

14 S o 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.

So she put off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown and she was not given to him as his wife.

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

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot or devoted prostitute, for she had covered her face.

16 H e 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?”

He turned to her by the road and said, Come, let me have intercourse with you; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me that you may have intercourse with me?

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

He answered, I will send you a kid from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge (deposit) until you send it?

18 H e 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.

And he said, What pledge shall I give you? She said, Your signet, your cord, and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her and came in to her, and she became pregnant by him.

19 T hen 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.

And she arose and went away and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 J udah 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.

And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand; but he was unable to find her.

21 H e 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.”

He asked the men of that place, Where is the harlot or cult prostitute who was openly by the roadside? They said, There was no harlot or temple prostitute here.

22 S o 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.’”

So he returned to Judah and said, I cannot find her; and also the local men said, There was no harlot or temple prostitute around here.

23 T hen 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.”

And Judah said, Let her keep for herself, lest we be made ashamed. I sent this kid, but you have not found her.

24 A bout 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!”

But about three months later Judah was told, Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot, and also she is with child by her lewdness. And Judah said, Bring her forth and let her be burned!

25 W hen 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?”

When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man to whom these articles belong. Then she added, Make out clearly, I pray you, to whom these belong, the signet, cord, and staff.

26 J udah 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.

And Judah acknowledged them and said, She has been more righteous and just than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he did not cohabit with her again.

27 W hen the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were two babies.

Now when the time came for her to be delivered, behold, there were twins in her womb.

28 W hile 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.”

And when she was in labor, one baby put out his hand; and the midwife took his hand and bound upon it a scarlet thread, saying, This baby was born first.

29 B ut 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.

But he drew back his hand, and behold, his brother was born first. And she said, What a breaking forth you have made for yourself! Therefore his name was called Perez.

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

And afterward his brother who had the scarlet thread on his hand was born and was named Zerah.