1
And it came about at that time, that Judahadeparted from his brothers and bvisited a certain1Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2Judahsawthere a daughter of a certainCanaanite whose name was 2Shua ; and he took her and went in to her.
3
So she conceived and bore a son and he named him 3Er.
4
Then she conceivedagain and bore a son and named him 4Onan.
5
She borestillanotherson and named him 5Shelah ; and it was at Chezibcthat she bore him.
6
Now Judahtook a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7
But 6Er, Judah'sfirstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORDtook his life.
8
Then Judahsaid to Onan, "7Go in to your brother'swife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up doffspring for your brother."
9Onanknew that the e8offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother'swife, he fwasted his seed on the ground in order not to givegoffspring to his brother.
10
But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD ; so He 9took his lifealso.
11
Then Judahsaid to his daughter-in-lawTamar, "10Remain a widow in your father'shouseuntil my sonShelahgrows up"; for he hthought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers." So Tamarwent and lived in her father'shouse.
12
Now iafter a considerabletimeShua'sdaughter, the wife of Judah, died ; and when jthe time of mourning was ended, Judahwent up to his sheepshearers at 11Timnah, he and his friendHirah the Adullamite.
13
It was told to Tamar, "kBehold, your father-in-law is going up to 12Timnah to shear his sheep."
14
So she lremoved her widow'sgarments and 13covered herself with a mveil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of nEnaim, which is on the road to Timnah ; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and 14she had not been given to him as a wife.
15
When Judahsaw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.
16
So he turnedaside to her by the road, and said, "oHerenow, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
17
He said, therefore, "I will send you a pyounggoat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledgeuntil you send it?"
18
He said, "Whatpledge shall I give you?" And she said, "15Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
19
Then she arose and departed, and qremoved her rveil and put on her widow'sgarments.
20
When Judahsent the syounggoat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman'shand, he did not find her.
21
He asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the templeprostitutewho was by the road at Enaim ?" But they said, "There has beennotempleprostitutehere."
22
So he returned to Judah, and said, "I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the placesaid, 'There has beennotempleprostitutehere.' "
23
Then Judahsaid, "Let her tkeep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. uAfterall, I sentthisyounggoat, but you did not find her."
24
Now it was about threemonths later that Judah was informed, "vYour daughter-in-lawTamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry." Then Judahsaid, "Bring her out and 16let her be burned !"
25
It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whomthesethings belong." And she said, "17Pleaseexamine and see, whosesignetring and cords and staff are these ?"
26Judahrecognized them, and said, "18She is morerighteousthan I, inasmuch as 19I did not give her to my sonShelah." And he did not whaverelations with her again .
27
It came about at the time she was givingbirth, that behold, there were 20twins in her womb.
28
Moreover, it tookplace while she was givingbirth, one put out a hand, and the midwifetook and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "Thisonecame out first."
29
But it came about as he drewback his hand, that behold, his brothercame out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was namedx21Perez.
30Afterward his brothercame out who had the scarlet thread on his hand ; and he was namedy22Zerah.