New Revised Standard NRS
The Message Bible MSG
1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and settled near a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.
1
About that time, Judah separated from his brothers and hooked up with a man in Adullam named Hirah.
2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; he married her and went in to her.
2
While there, Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. He married her, they went to bed,
3 She conceived and bore a son; and he named him Er.
3
she became pregnant and had a son named Er.
4 Again she conceived and bore a son whom she named Onan.
4
She got pregnant again and had a son named Onan.
5 Yet again she bore a son, and she named him Shelah. She was in Chezib when she bore him.
5
She had still another son; she named this one Shelah. They were living at Kezib when she had him.
6 Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar.
6
Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar.
7 But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death.
7
But Judah's firstborn, Er, grievously offended God and God took his life.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her; raise up offspring for your brother."
8
So Judah told Onan, "Go and sleep with your brother's widow; it's the duty of a brother-in-law to keep your brother's line alive."
9 But since Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, he spilled his semen on the ground whenever he went in to his brother's wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother.
9
But Onan knew that the child wouldn't be his, so whenever he slept with his brother's widow he spilled his semen on the ground so he wouldn't produce a child for his brother.
10 What he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also.
10
God was much offended by what he did and also took his life.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"—for he feared that he too would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father's house.
11
So Judah stepped in and told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow at home with your father until my son Shelah grows up." He was worried that Shelah would also end up dead, just like his brothers. So Tamar went to live with her father.
12 In course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died; when Judah's time of mourning was over, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
12
Time passed. Judah's wife, Shua's daughter, died. When the time of mourning was over, Judah with his friend Hirah of Adullam went to Timnah for the sheep shearing.
13 When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,"
13
Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law has gone to Timnah to shear his sheep."
14 she put off her widow's garments, put on a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. She saw that Shelah was grown up, yet she had not been given to him in marriage.
14
She took off her widow's clothes, put on a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the road to Timnah. She realized by now that even though Shelah was grown up, she wasn't going to be married to him.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
15
Judah saw her and assumed she was a prostitute since she had veiled her face.
16 He went over to her at the roadside, and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
16
He left the road and went over to her. He said, "Let me sleep with you." He had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you pay me?"
17 He answered, "I will send you a kid from the flock." And she said, "Only if you give me a pledge, until you send it."
17
"I'll send you," he said, "a kid goat from the flock." She said, "Not unless you give me a pledge until you send it."
18 He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord, and the staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
18
"So what would you want in the way of a pledge?" She said, "Your personal seal-and-cord and the staff you carry." He handed them over to her and slept with her. And she got pregnant.
19 Then she got up and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.
19
She then left and went home. She removed her veil and put her widow's clothes back on.
20 When Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to recover the pledge from the woman, he could not find her.
20
Judah sent the kid goat by his friend from Adullam to recover the pledge from the woman. But he couldn't find her.
21 He asked the townspeople, "Where is the temple prostitute who was at Enaim by the wayside?" But they said, "No prostitute has been here."
21
He asked the men of that place, "Where's the prostitute that used to sit by the road here near Enaim?" They said, "There's never been a prostitute here."
22 So he returned to Judah, and said, "I have not found her; moreover the townspeople said, "No prostitute has been here.' "
22
He went back to Judah and said, "I couldn't find her. The men there said there never has been a prostitute there."
23 Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, otherwise we will be laughed at; you see, I sent this kid, and you could not find her."
23
Judah said, "Let her have it then. If we keep looking, everyone will be poking fun at us. I kept my part of the bargain - I sent the kid goat but you couldn't find her."
24 About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore; moreover she is pregnant as a result of whoredom." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."
24
Three months or so later, Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law has been playing the whore - and now she's a pregnant whore." Judah yelled, "Get her out here. Burn her up!"
25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "It was the owner of these who made me pregnant." And she said, "Take note, please, whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff."
25
As they brought her out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, "I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things. Identify them, please. Who's the owner of the seal-and-cord and the staff?"
26 Then Judah acknowledged them and said, "She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not lie with her again.
26
Judah saw they were his. He said, "She's in the right; I'm in the wrong - I wouldn't let her marry my son Shelah." He never slept with her again.
27 When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb.
27
When her time came to give birth, it turned out that there were twins in her womb.
28 While she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a crimson thread, saying, "This one came out first."
28
As she was giving birth, one put his hand out; the midwife tied a red thread on his hand, saying, "This one came first."
29 But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother; and she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore he was named Perez.
29
But then he pulled it back and his brother came out. She said, "Oh! A breakout!" So she named him Perez (Breakout).
30 Afterward his brother came out with the crimson thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.
30
Then his brother came out with the red thread on his hand. They named him Zerah (Bright).
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.