Genesis 38

Revised Geneva Translation

38 And at that time, Judah went down from his brothers and visited a man called Hirah, an Adullamite.

² And there Judah saw a daughter of a man called Shua, a Canaanite. And he took her and went into her.

³ So she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name “Er”.

⁴ And she conceived again and bore a son; and she called his name “Onan”.

⁵ Moreover, she bore yet another son whom she called Shelah. And Judah was at Chezib when she bore him.

⁶ Then Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

⁷ Now, Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. Therefore, the LORD killed him.

⁸ And Judah said to Onan, “Go into your brother’s wife and do the office of a kinsman to her; and raise up seed to your brother.”

⁹ And Onan knew that the seed would not be his. Therefore, when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

¹⁰ And it was wicked in the eyes of the LORD, that which he did. Therefore He killed him also.

¹¹ Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until Shelah, my son, grows up (for he thought, “Lest he die, just as his brothers.”) So, Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

¹² And in process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, also died. Then Judah, when he had finished mourning, went up to his sheepshearers, to Timnah (he and his neighbor, Hirah the Adullamite).

¹³ And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnath, to shear his sheep.

¹⁴ Then she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself and sat down in Pethah-enam (which is on the way to Timnah) because she saw that Shelah was grown and she was not given to him as wife.

¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he judged her to be a whore, for she had covered her face.

¹⁶ And he made his way towards her, and said, “Please, come let me lie with you.” For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she answered, “What will you give me, to lie with me?”

¹⁷ Then he said, “I will send you a kid from the goats of the flock.” And she said, “If you will give me a pledge until you send it.”

¹⁸ Then he said, “What is the pledge that I shall give you?” And she answered, “Your signet and your cloak and your staff that is in your hand.” So, he gave it to her and lay with her; and she was with child by him.

¹⁹ Then she rose and went and took off her veil and put on her widow’s raiment.

²⁰ Afterward, Judah sent a kid from the goats by the hand of his neighbor, the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand. But he did not find her.

²¹ Then he asked the men of the place, saying, “Where is the whore who sat in Enaim, by the wayside?” And they answered, “There was no whore there.”

²² Therefore, he came back to Judah, and said, “I cannot find her. And the men of the place also said, ‘There was no whore there.’”

²³ Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.”

²⁴ Now, after three months, one told Judah, saying, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the whore; and lo, with playing the whore, she is great with child.” Then Judah said, “Bring her forth and let her be burnt.”

²⁵ When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these things pertain, am I with child.” And she also said, “Please determine who’s these are: the seal and the cloak and the staff.”

²⁶ Then Judah knew, and said, “She is more righteous than me. For she has done it because I did not give her to Shelah, my son.” So, he lay with her no more.

²⁷ Now, when the time had come that she should give birth, behold, there were twins in her womb.

²⁸ And when she was in labor, one put out his hand. And the midwife took and bound a red thread around his hand, saying, “This has come out first.”

²⁹ But when he drew his hand back again, lo, his brother came out; and the midwife said, “How have you broken through? A breach is upon you!” And his name was called “Perez”.

³⁰ And afterward, his brother came out (who had the red thread around his hand); and his name was called “Zerah”.