⁹ But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. ¹⁰ What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.^(A)

¹¹ Judah then said to his daughter-in-law^(B) Tamar,^(C) “Live as a widow in your father’s household^(D) until my son Shelah^(E) grows up.”^(F) For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.

¹² After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua,^(G) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,^(H) to the men who were shearing his sheep,^(I) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite^(J) went with him.

¹³ When Tamar^(K) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”^{(L) 14} she took off her widow’s clothes,^(M) covered herself with a veil^(N) to disguise herself, and then sat down^(O) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.^(P) For she saw that, though Shelah^(Q) 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,^(R) for she had covered her face. ¹⁶ Not realizing^(S) that she was his daughter-in-law,^(T) he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”^(U)

“And what will you give me to sleep with you?”^(V) she asked.

¹⁷ “I’ll send you a young goat^(W) from my flock,” he said.

“Will you give me something as a pledge^(X) until you send it?” she asked.