Genesis 38

New American Standard Bible

Judah and Tamar

38 And it came about at that time, that Judah ^[a]departed from his brothers and ^[b]visited a certain ^(A)Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. ² Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was ^(B)Shua; and he took her as a wife and had relations with her. ³ And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him ^(C)Er. ⁴ Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him ^(D)Onan. ⁵ She gave birth to yet another son and named him ^(E)Shelah; and it was at Chezib ^[c]that she gave birth to him.

⁶ Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. ⁷ But ^(F)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life. ⁸ Then Judah said to Onan, “^(G)Have relations with your brother’s wife and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a ^[d]child for your brother.” ⁹ Now Onan knew that the ^[e](H)child would not be his; so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he ^[f]wasted his seed on the ground so that he would not give ^[g]a child to his brother. ¹⁰ But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He ^(I)took his life also. ¹¹ Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “^(J)Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he ^[h]thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

¹² Now ^[i]after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when ^[j]the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at ^(K)Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. ¹³ And Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to ^(L)Timnah to shear his sheep.” ¹⁴ So she ^[k]removed her widow’s garments and ^(M)covered herself with a ^[l]veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of ^[m]Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and ^(N)she had not been given to him as a wife. ¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he assumed she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. ¹⁶ So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “^[n]Here now, let me have relations 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 relations with me?” ¹⁷ He said, therefore, “I will send you a ^[o]young goat from the flock.” She then said, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” ¹⁸ He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “^(O)Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had relations with her, and she conceived by him. ¹⁹ Then she got up and departed, and ^[p]removed her ^[q]veil and put on her widow’s garments.

²⁰ When Judah sent the ^[r]young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. ²¹ He asked the people 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.” ²² So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the people of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’” ²³ Then Judah said, “Let her ^[s]keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. ^[t]After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

²⁴ Now it was about three months later that Judah was ^[u]informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and behold, she is also pregnant by prostitution.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and ^(P)have her burned!” ²⁵ It was while she was being brought out that she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong.” She also said, “^(Q)Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” ²⁶ And Judah recognized them, and said, “^(R)She is more righteous than I, since ^(S)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not ^[v]have relations with her again.

²⁷ It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were ^(T)twins in her womb. ²⁸ Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, that one baby put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” ²⁹ But 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 ^[w](U)Perez. ³⁰ Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named ^[x](V)Zerah.