20
Y'hudah sent the kid with his friend the 'Adulami to receive the guarantee items back from the woman, but he couldn't find her.
21
He asked the people near where she had been, "Where is the prostitute who was on the road at 'Einayim?" But they answered,"There hasn't been any prostitute here."
22
So he returned to Y'hudah and said, "I couldn't find her; also the people there said, 'There hasn't been any prostitute here.'"
23
Y'hudah said, "All right, let her keep the things, so that we won't be publicly shamed. I sent the kid, but you didn't find her."
24
About three months later Y'hudah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been acting like a whore; moreover, she is pregnant as a result of her prostitution."Y'hudah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned alive!"
25
When she was brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Determine, I beg you, whose these are - the signet, the cords and the staff."
26
Then Y'hudah acknowledged owning them. He said, "She is more righteous than I, because I didn't let her become the wife of my son Shelah." And he never slept with her again.
27
When she went into labor, it became evident that she was going to have twins.
28
As she was in labor, one of them put out his hand; and the midwife took his hand and tied a scarlet thread on it, saying, "This one came out first."
29
But then he withdrew his hand, and his brother came out; so she said, "How did you manage to break out first?"Therefore he was named Peretz [breaking out].
30
Then out came his brother, with the scarlet thread on his hand, and he was given the name Zerach [scarlet].