Genesis 38
38:1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren,
and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
38:2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua.
And he took her, and went in unto her.
38:3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
38:4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
38:5 And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at
Chezib, when she bare him.
38:6 And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar.
38:7 And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah. And Jehovah
slew him.
38:8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the
duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
38:9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he
went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he
should give seed to his brother.
38:10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew
him also.
38:11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy
father's house, till Shelah my son be grown up; for he said, Lest he also die,
like his brethren. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
38:12 And in process of time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah
was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend
Hirah the Adullamite.
38:13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to
Timnah to shear his sheep.
38:14 And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered
herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which
is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not
given unto him to wife.
38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her
face.
38:16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me
come in unto thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she
said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
38:17 And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she
said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
38:18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet and
thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand. And he gave them to her, and came
in unto her, and she conceived by him.
38:19 And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on
the garments of her widowhood.
38:20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the
Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
38:21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that
was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There hath been no prostitute here.
38:22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men
of the place said, There hath been no prostitute here.
38:23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I
sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
38:24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah,
saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold,
she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be
burnt.
38:25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the
man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose
are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.
38:26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I;
forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
38:27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were
in her womb.
38:28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the
midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out
first.
38:29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother
came out: and she said, Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself? Therefore
his name was called Perez.
38:30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his
hand: and his name was called Zerah.
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