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

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. And he took her, and went in unto 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 conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name 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 bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

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

And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

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

And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and 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 first-born, 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. Do your duty as her brother-in-law. Have children for your brother.”

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy 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.

And 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 spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to 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 was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and 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 said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown up; for he said, Lest he also die, like his brethren. And Tamar went and dwelt 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.

And in process of time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and 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.”

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah 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.

And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to 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 her to be a harlot; 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?”

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Come, 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 mayest come in unto 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?”

And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou 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 thee? And she said, Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand. And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived 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 put off her veil from her, 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 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 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.”

Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There hath been no 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.’”

And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, There hath been no prostitute 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 take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast 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!”

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

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, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the 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 is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

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

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were 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 it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out 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.

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself? 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 came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah.