Genesis 38

1At that time Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.

2There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua, and he took her and went in to her.

3She conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

4She conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan.

5She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. And he was at Chezib when she bore him.

6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and Yahweh put him to death.

8Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”

9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.

10What he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so he put him to death also.

11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up,” for he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

12After many days had passed, the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheep shearers—he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13And Tamar was told, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

14So she took off her widow’s garments from herself, and wrapped herself in a veil, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, yet she had not been given to him as a wife.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face.

16So he turned aside to her by the road and said, “Please, 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?”

17And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you will give a pledge until you send it.”

18He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your seal, 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.

19Then she arose and went away, and she removed her veil from upon her and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20Then Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his Adullamite friend to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.

21He asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” But they said, “There has been no cult prostitute here.”

22So he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her, and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’”

23And Judah said, “Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. Look, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

24And it happened about three months later that Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has acted as a prostitute, and behold, she is also pregnant by prostitution.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

25As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” And she said, “Please identify whose signet ring, cords, and staff these are.”

26Then Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not know her again.

27When it was time for her to give birth, behold, there were twins in her womb.

28And when she was giving birth, he put out a hand, and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

29And as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So his name was called Perez.

30Afterward his brother came out, with the scarlet thread on his hand, and he called his name Zerah.