Genesis 38:5-15

New International Version

⁵ She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.^(A) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

⁶ Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.^{(B) 7} But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;^(C) so the Lord put him to death.^(D)

⁸ Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”^{(E) 9} But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. ¹⁰ What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.^(F)

¹¹ Judah then said to his daughter-in-law^(G) Tamar,^(H) “Live as a widow in your father’s household^(I) until my son Shelah^(J) grows up.”^(K) For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.

¹² After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua,^(L) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,^(M) to the men who were shearing his sheep,^(N) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite^(O) went with him.

¹³ When Tamar^(P) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”^{(Q) 14} she took off her widow’s clothes,^(R) covered herself with a veil^(S) to disguise herself, and then sat down^(T) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.^(U) For she saw that, though Shelah^(V) had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute,^(W) for she had covered her face.