13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up (A)to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and (B)sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw (C)that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.

So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

17 And he said, (D)“I will send a young goat from the flock.”

So she said, (E)“Will you give me a pledge till you send it?

18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”

So she said, (F)“Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

Read full chapter

13 When Tamar(A) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”(B) 14 she took off her widow’s clothes,(C) covered herself with a veil(D) to disguise herself, and then sat down(E) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.(F) For she saw that, though Shelah(G) 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,(H) for she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing(I) that she was his daughter-in-law,(J) he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”(K)

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

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

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

18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?”

“Your seal(O) and its cord, and the staff(P) in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.(Q)

Read full chapter

24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has (A)played the harlot; furthermore she is [a]with child by harlotry.”

So Judah said, “Bring her out (B)and let her be burned!”

25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, (C)“Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”

26 So Judah (D)acknowledged them and said, (E)“She has been more righteous than I, because (F)I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he (G)never knew her again.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 38:24 pregnant

24 About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”(A)

25 As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”(B)

26 Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I,(C) since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.(D)” And he did not sleep with her again.

Read full chapter