Genesis 38
Legacy Standard Bible
Judah and Tamar
38 Now it happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain (A)Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (B)Shua; and he took her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he named him (C)Er. 4 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and she named him (D)Onan. 5 And she bore still another son, and she named him (E)Shelah; and it was at Chezib [a]that she bore him.
6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But (F)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so Yahweh put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “(G)Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a seed for your brother.” 9 And Onan knew that the (H)seed would not be his; and it happened that when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted it on the ground in order not to give seed to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of Yahweh; so He (I)put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “(J)Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he [b]thought, “I am afraid lest he also die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 And [c]after a considerable time, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Then Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheepshearers at (K)Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 Then it was told to Tamar, “[d]Behold, your father-in-law is going up to (L)Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she removed her widow’s garments from herself and (M)covered herself with a [e]veil and wrapped herself. And she sat at the entrance of [f]Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and (N)she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 Then Judah saw her, and he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road and said, “Here now, 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?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a [g]young goat from the flock.” She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “(O)Your signet and 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. 19 Then she arose and went. And she removed her [h]veil from herself and put on her widow’s garments.
20 Then Judah sent the [i]young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 So he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the cult prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her [j]keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
24 Now it happened about three months later that it was told to Judah saying, “[k]Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and (P)let her be burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “(Q)Please recognize this and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 And Judah recognized them and said, “(R)She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as (S)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not [l]know her again.
27 Now it happened at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were (T)twins in her womb. 28 And it happened, while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 And then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. So she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named [m](U)Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named [n](V)Zerah.
Footnotes
- Genesis 38:5 Lit when
- Genesis 38:11 Lit said
- Genesis 38:12 Lit the days became many and
- Genesis 38:13 Lit saying, Behold
- Genesis 38:14 Or shawl
- Genesis 38:14 In Josh 15:34, Enam
- Genesis 38:17 Lit kid of goats
- Genesis 38:19 Or shawl
- Genesis 38:20 Lit kid of goats by the hand of
- Genesis 38:23 Lit take for herself
- Genesis 38:24 Lit saying, Your
- Genesis 38:26 Or have relations with
- Genesis 38:29 Lit a breach
- Genesis 38:30 Lit a dawning, brightness
Genesis 38
American Standard Version
38 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. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah slew him. 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. 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. 10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also. 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.
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. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep. 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. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face. 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? 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? 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. 19 And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 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. 21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the [a]prostitute, that was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There hath been no prostitute here. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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. 27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 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. 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, [b]Wherefore hast thou made a breach for thyself? therefore his name was called [c]Perez. 30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah.
Footnotes
- Genesis 38:21 Hebrew kedeshah, that is, a woman dedicated to impure heathen worship. See Dt. 23:17; Hos. 4:14.
- Genesis 38:29 Or, How hast thou made a breach! a breach be upon thee!
- Genesis 38:29 That is, A breach.
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