1 A t that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited 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 J udah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her, and went in to 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 S he conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.

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

4 S he conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.

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

5 S he yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.

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

6 J udah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

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

7 E r, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight. Yahweh killed him.

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

8 J udah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring forl your 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 O nan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give offspring 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 T he thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed 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 in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up”; for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived 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 A fter many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, 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 T amar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah 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 S he took off of 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 wasn’t given to him as a 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 that she was a prostitute, for 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 H e turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to 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 H e said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you 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 H e said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to 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 S he arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, 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 J udah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t 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 her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.”

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 H e returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”

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 J udah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t 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 A bout three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, 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 out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man, whose these are, I am with child.” She also said, “Please discern whose are these—the signet, and the cords, and the 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 J udah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” 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 I n the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.

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

28 W hen she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, 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 s he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.

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 fterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

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