11
Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, âLive as a widow in your fatherâs household until my son Shelah grows up.â For he thought, âHe may die too, just like his brothers.â So Tamar went to live in her fatherâs household.
12
After a long time Judahâs wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13
When Tamar was told, âYour father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,â
14
she took off her widowâs clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah 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, for she had covered her face.
16
Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, âCome now, let me sleep with you.â âAnd what will you give me to sleep with you?â she asked.
17
âIâll send you a young goat from my flock,â he said. âWill you give me something as a pledge until you send it?â she asked.
18
He said, âWhat pledge should I give you?â âYour seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,â she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19
After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widowâs clothes again.
20
Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.
21
He asked the men who lived there, âWhere is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?â âThere hasnât been any shrine prostitute here,â they said.
22
So he went back to Judah and said, âI didnât find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, âThere hasnât been any shrine prostitute here.â â
23
Then Judah said, âLet her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didnât find her.â
24
About three months later Judah was told, âYour daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.â Judah said, âBring her out and have her burned to death!â
25
As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. âI am pregnant by the man who owns these,â she said. And she added, âSee if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.â
26
Judah recognized them and said, âShe is more righteous than I, since I wouldnât give her to my son Shelah.â And he did not sleep with her again.