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Judah and Tamar

38 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and settled near a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; he married her and went in to her. She conceived and bore a son; and he named him Er. Again she conceived and bore a son whom she named Onan. Yet again she bore a son, and she named him Shelah. She[a] was in Chezib when she bore him. Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, ‘Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her; raise up offspring for your brother.’ But since Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, he spilled his semen on the ground whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, so that he would not give offspring to his brother. 10 What he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, ‘Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up’—for he feared that he too would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.

12 In course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died; when Judah’s time of mourning was over,[b] he went up to Timnah to his sheep-shearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 When Tamar was told, ‘Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep’, 14 she put off her widow’s garments, put on a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. She saw that Shelah was grown up, yet she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He went over to her at the roadside, and said, ‘Come, let me come in to you’, for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, ‘What will you give me, that you may come in to me?’ 17 He answered, ‘I will send you a kid from the flock.’ And she said, ‘Only if you give me a pledge, until you send it.’ 18 He said, ‘What pledge shall I give you?’ She replied, ‘Your signet and your cord, and the 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 got up and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 When Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to recover the pledge from the woman, he could not find her. 21 He asked the townspeople, ‘Where is the temple prostitute who was at Enaim by the wayside?’ But they said, ‘No prostitute has been here.’ 22 So he returned to Judah, and said, ‘I have not found her; moreover, the townspeople said, “No prostitute has been here.”’ 23 Judah replied, ‘Let her keep the things as her own, otherwise we will be laughed at; you see, I sent this kid, and you could not find her.’

24 About three months later Judah was told, ‘Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore; moreover she is pregnant as a result of whoredom.’ And Judah said, ‘Bring her out, and let her be burned.’ 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, ‘It was the owner of these who made me pregnant.’ And she said, ‘Take note, please, whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.’ 26 Then Judah acknowledged them and said, ‘She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.’ And he did not lie with her again.

27 When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. 28 While she was in labour, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a crimson thread, saying, ‘This one came out first.’ 29 But just then he drew back his hand, and out came his brother; and she said, ‘What a breach you have made for yourself!’ Therefore he was named Perez.[c] 30 Afterwards his brother came out with the crimson thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.[d]

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 38:5 Gk: Heb He
  2. Genesis 38:12 Heb when Judah was comforted
  3. Genesis 38:29 That is A breach
  4. Genesis 38:30 That is Brightness; perhaps alluding to the crimson thread

Juda et Tamar

38 A cette époque-là, Juda s'éloigna de ses frères et se retira chez un homme d'Adullam appelé Hira. Là, il vit la fille d'un Cananéen du nom de Shua; il la prit pour femme et eut des relations avec elle. Elle tomba enceinte et mit au monde un fils qu'elle appela Er. Elle tomba enceinte et donna naissance à un fils qu'elle appela Onan. Elle mit de nouveau au monde un fils qu'elle appela Shéla. Juda était à Czib quand elle lui donna naissance.

Juda prit pour Er, son fils aîné, une femme du nom de Tamar. Er, le fils aîné de Juda, était méchant aux yeux de l'Eternel et celui-ci le fit mourir. Alors Juda dit à Onan: «Unis-toi à la femme de ton frère, remplis tes devoirs de beau-frère envers elle et donne une descendance à ton frère.» Sachant que cette descendance ne serait pas pour lui, Onan perdait sa semence par terre lorsqu'il devait avoir des relations avec sa belle-sœur, afin de ne pas donner de descendance à son frère. 10 Ce qu'il faisait déplut à l'Eternel, qui le fit aussi mourir. 11 Alors Juda dit à sa belle-fille Tamar: «Reste veuve chez ton père jusqu'à ce que mon fils Shéla soit grand.» Il disait cela parce qu’il avait peur que Shéla ne meure comme ses frères. Tamar s'en alla donc habiter chez son père.

12 Bien des jours passèrent et la fille de Shua qui était la femme de Juda mourut. Une fois consolé, Juda monta à Thimna vers ceux qui tondaient ses brebis. Il y monta avec son ami Hira l'Adullamite. 13 On annonça à Tamar: «Ton beau-père monte à Thimna pour tondre ses brebis.» 14 Alors elle retira ses habits de veuve, se couvrit d'un voile dont elle s'enveloppa et elle s'assit à l'entrée d'Enaïm, sur le chemin de Thimna. Elle voyait bien, en effet, que Shéla était devenu grand et qu'elle ne lui était pas donnée en mariage.

15 Juda la vit et la prit pour une prostituée, parce qu'elle avait couvert son visage. 16 Il l'aborda sur le chemin et dit: «Laisse-moi avoir des relations avec toi.» Il ignorait en effet que c’était sa belle-fille. Elle dit: «Que me donneras-tu pour cela?» 17 Il répondit: «Je t'enverrai un chevreau de mon troupeau.» Elle dit: «Donne-moi un gage jusqu'à ce que tu l'envoies.» 18 Il répondit: «Quel gage te donnerai-je?» Elle dit: «Ton sceau, ton cordon et le bâton que tu tiens.» Il les lui donna. Puis il s’unit à elle et elle tomba enceinte de lui. 19 Elle se leva et s'en alla. Elle retira son voile et remit ses habits de veuve.

20 Juda envoya le chevreau par l’intermédiaire de son ami l'Adullamite pour reprendre le gage à la femme, mais celui-ci ne la trouva pas. 21 Il interrogea les habitants de l'endroit en disant: «Où est la prostituée qui se tenait à Enaïm, sur le chemin?» Ils répondirent: «Il n'y a jamais eu ici de prostituée sacrée.» 22 Il retourna vers Juda et dit: «Je ne l'ai pas trouvée, et même les habitants de l'endroit ont dit: ‘Il n'y a jamais eu ici de prostituée sacrée.’» 23 Juda dit: «Qu'elle garde ce qu'elle a, sinon nous nous exposerions au mépris. J'ai envoyé ce chevreau et tu ne l'as pas trouvée.»

24 Environ trois mois plus tard, on vint annoncer à Juda: «Ta belle-fille Tamar s'est prostituée et la voilà même enceinte à la suite de sa prostitution.» Juda dit: «Faites-la sortir et qu'elle soit brûlée.» 25 Comme on l'amenait dehors, elle fit dire à son beau-père: «C'est de l'homme à qui ces objets appartiennent que je suis enceinte.» Elle ajouta: «Reconnais donc à qui appartiennent ce sceau, ce cordon et ce bâton.» 26 Juda les reconnut et dit: «Elle est moins coupable que moi, puisque je ne l'ai pas donnée à mon fils Shéla.» Cependant, il n'eut plus de relations sexuelles avec elle.

27 Quand ce fut pour elle le moment d'accoucher, voici qu'il y avait des jumeaux dans son ventre. 28 Pendant l'accouchement il y en eut un qui présenta la main. La sage-femme la prit et y attacha un fil cramoisi en disant: «Celui-ci sort le premier.» 29 Cependant, il retira la main et c'est son frère qui sortit. Alors la sage-femme dit: «Quelle brèche tu t'es ouverte!» et on l’appela Pérets. 30 Ensuite sortit son frère, celui qui avait à la main le fil cramoisi, et on l’appela Zérach.

Juda und seine Nachkommen von der Tamar

38 Es geschah aber um jene Zeit, dass Juda von seinen Brüdern wegzog und sich zu einem Mann aus Adullam wandte, der Hira hieß.

Und Juda sah dort die Tochter eines Kanaaniters, der Schua hieß, und er nahm sie zur Frau und ging zu ihr ein.

Und sie wurde schwanger und gebar einen Sohn, und er gab ihm den Namen Er.

Und sie wurde wieder schwanger und gebar einen Sohn, und sie gab ihm den Namen Onan.

Und wiederum gebar sie einen Sohn, und sie gab ihm den Namen Schela. Er befand sich aber in Kesib[a], als sie ihn gebar.

Und Juda gab seinem erstgeborenen Sohn Er eine Frau, die hieß Tamar.

Aber Er, der Erstgeborene Judas, war böse in den Augen des Herrn, darum tötete ihn der Herr.

Da sprach Juda zu Onan: Komm zu der Frau deines Bruders und vollziehe mit ihr die Schwagerehe[b], damit du deinem Bruder Nachkommen[c] erweckst!

Da aber Onan wusste, dass der Nachkomme nicht sein eigener sein würde, ließ er es auf die Erde fallen und verderben, wenn er zur Frau seines Bruders ging, um seinem Bruder keinen Nachkommen zu geben.

10 Was er tat, missfiel aber dem Herrn; da tötete er auch ihn.

11 Da sprach Juda zu Tamar, der Frau seines Sohnes: Bleibe als Witwe im Haus deines Vaters, bis mein Sohn Schela erwachsen ist! — Denn er dachte: »Vielleicht könnte er auch sterben, wie seine Brüder«. So ging Tamar hin und blieb im Haus ihres Vaters.

12 Als nun viele Tage verflossen waren, starb die Tochter Schuas, die Frau Judas. Und nachdem Juda ausgetrauert hatte, ging er hinauf zu seinen Schafherden nach Timna, er und Hira, sein Freund aus Adullam.

13 Da wurde der Tamar berichtet: Siehe, dein Schwiegervater geht hinauf nach Timna, um seine Schafe zu scheren!

14 Da legte sie die Witwenkleider ab, bedeckte sich mit einem Schleier und verhüllte sich und setzte sich ans Tor von Enaim, am Weg nach Timna. Denn sie sah, dass Schela erwachsen war und sie ihm nicht zur Frau gegeben wurde.

15 Als nun Juda sie sah, glaubte er, sie sei eine Hure; denn sie hatte ihr Angesicht bedeckt.

16 Und er bog ab zu ihr an den Weg und sprach: Lass mich doch zu dir kommen! Denn er wusste nicht, dass sie die Frau seines Sohnes war. Sie antwortete: Was willst du mir geben, wenn du zu mir kommst?

17 Er sprach: Ich will dir einen Ziegenbock von der Herde schicken! Sie antwortete: So gib mir ein Pfand, bis du ihn mir schickst!

18 Er sprach: Was willst du, dass ich dir zum Pfand gebe? Sie antwortete: Deinen Siegelring und deine Schnur und deinen Stab, den du in deiner Hand hast! Da gab er es ihr und ging zu ihr ein, und sie wurde von ihm schwanger.

19 Und sie machte sich auf und ging hin und legte ihren Schleier ab und legte wieder ihre Witwenkleider an.

20 Juda aber sandte den Ziegenbock durch seinen Freund, den Adullamiter, um das Pfand von der Frau zurückzuerhalten; aber er fand sie nicht.

21 Da fragte er die Leute an jenem Ort und sprach: Wo ist die Tempelhure[d], die bei Enaim am Weg saß? Sie antworteten: Es ist keine Tempelhure hier gewesen!

22 Und er kam wieder zu Juda und sprach: Ich habe sie nicht gefunden; dazu sagen die Leute an jenem Ort, es sei keine Tempelhure dort gewesen.

23 Juda sprach: So soll sie [das Pfand] für sich behalten, damit wir nicht in Verruf geraten! Siehe, ich habe den Bock geschickt, aber du hast sie nicht gefunden.

24 Und es geschah nach etwa drei Monaten, da wurde dem Juda berichtet: Deine Schwiegertochter Tamar hat Hurerei getrieben, und siehe, sie ist von der Hurerei auch schwanger geworden! Da sprach Juda: Führt sie hinaus, damit sie verbrannt werde!

25 Und als man sie hinausführte, schickte sie zu ihrem Schwiegervater und ließ ihm sagen: Von dem Mann bin ich schwanger geworden, dem das gehört! Und sie sprach: Erkenne doch, wem gehört dieser Siegelring und die Schnur und der Stab?

26 Da erkannte es Juda und sprach: Sie ist gerechter als ich; denn ich habe sie nicht meinem Sohn Schela gegeben! Und er hatte hinfort keinen geschlechtlichen Umgang mehr mit ihr.[e]

27 Und es geschah, als sie gebären sollte, siehe, da waren Zwillinge in ihrem Leib.

28 Und es geschah, als sie gebar, da kam eine Hand heraus; da nahm die Hebamme einen roten Faden und band ihn darum und sprach: Der ist zuerst herausgekommen!

29 Als dieser aber seine Hand wieder hineinzog, siehe, da kam sein Bruder heraus. Und sie sprach: Warum hast du dir einen solchen Riss gemacht? Und man gab ihm den Namen Perez[f].

30 Danach kam sein Bruder heraus, der den roten Faden um die Hand hatte, und man gab ihm den Namen Serach[g].

Footnotes

  1. (38,5) bed. »Täuschung / Falschheit / Götze«.
  2. (38,8) Es gehörte nach semitischem Rechtsbrauch zu den Verpflichtungen der Schwager, ihrem verstorbenen Bruder Nachkommen von der Witwe zu zeugen (vgl. 5Mo 25,5.7).
  3. (38,8) w. Samen, so auch in V. 9.
  4. (38,21) w. die Geweihte; Bezeichnung für Kultprostituierte im Alten Orient.
  5. (38,26) w. Und er erkannte sie nicht mehr.
  6. (38,29) bed. »Riss«.
  7. (38,30) bed. »Aufgang / Glanz«.

Giuda e Tamar

38 (A)In quel tempo Giuda si separò dai suoi fratelli e andò a stare da un uomo di Adullam, di nome Chira. Là Giuda vide la figlia di un Cananeo di nome Sua; se la prese e si unì a lei. Ella concepì e partorì un figlio, che egli chiamò Er. Poi ella concepì di nuovo e partorì un figlio, che chiamò Onan. Partorì ancora un figlio e lo chiamò Sela. Giuda era a Chezib, quando ella lo partorì.

Giuda prese per Er, suo primogenito, una moglie che si chiamava Tamar. Ma Er, primogenito di Giuda, era perverso agli occhi del Signore; e il Signore lo fece morire. Allora Giuda disse a Onan: «Va’ dalla moglie di tuo fratello, prenditela in moglie come cognato e suscita una discendenza a tuo fratello». Onan, sapendo che quei discendenti non sarebbero stati suoi, quando si accostava alla moglie di suo fratello, faceva in modo d’impedire il concepimento[a], per non dare discendenti al fratello. 10 Ciò che egli faceva dispiacque al Signore, il quale fece morire anche lui. 11 Allora Giuda disse a Tamar sua nuora: «Rimani vedova in casa di tuo padre, finché Sela, mio figlio, sia cresciuto». Perché diceva: «Badiamo che anche egli non muoia come i suoi fratelli». E Tamar se ne andò e abitò in casa di suo padre.

12 (B)Passarono molti giorni e la figlia di Sua, moglie di Giuda, morì; e, dopo che Giuda si fu consolato, salì da quelli che tosavano le sue pecore a Timna: c’era con lui il suo amico Chira, l’Adullamita. 13 Tamar ne fu informata. Le dissero: «Ecco, tuo suocero sale a Timna a tosare le sue pecore». 14 Allora ella si tolse le vesti da vedova, si coprì d’un velo, se ne avvolse tutta e si mise seduta alla porta di Enaim che è sulla via di Timna; infatti, aveva visto che Sela era cresciuto, e tuttavia lei non gli era stata data in moglie.

15 Come Giuda la vide, la prese per una prostituta, perché ella aveva il viso coperto. 16 Avvicinatosi a lei sulla via, le disse: «Lasciami venire da te!» Infatti non sapeva che quella fosse sua nuora. Lei rispose: «Che mi darai per venire da me?» 17 Egli le disse: «Ti manderò un capretto del mio gregge». E lei: «Mi darai un pegno finché tu me lo abbia mandato?» 18 Ed egli: «Che pegno ti darò?» L’altra rispose: «Il tuo sigillo, il tuo cordone e il bastone che hai in mano». Egli glieli diede, andò da lei ed ella rimase incinta di lui. 19 Allora Tamar si alzò e se ne andò; si tolse il velo e si rimise le vesti da vedova.

20 Giuda mandò il capretto per mezzo del suo amico, l’Adullamita, al fine di ritirare il pegno dalle mani di quella donna, ma egli non la trovò. 21 Interrogò la gente del luogo, dicendo: «Dov’è quella prostituta che stava a Enaim, sulla via?» Quelli risposero: «Qui non c’è stata nessuna prostituta». 22 Egli se ne tornò da Giuda e gli disse: «Non l’ho trovata e, per di più, la gente del luogo mi ha detto: “Qui non c’è stata nessuna prostituta”». 23 Giuda disse: «Si tenga pure il pegno, e non esponiamoci agli scherni! Ecco, io ho mandato questo capretto e tu non l’hai trovata».

24 Circa tre mesi dopo vennero a dire a Giuda: «Tamar, tua nuora, si è prostituita e, per di più, eccola incinta in seguito alla sua prostituzione». Giuda disse: «Portatela fuori e sia bruciata!» 25 Mentre la portavano fuori, mandò a dire a suo suocero: «Sono incinta dell’uomo al quale appartengono queste cose». E disse: «Riconosci, ti prego, di chi siano questo sigillo, questi cordoni e questo bastone». 26 Giuda li riconobbe e disse: «È più giusta di me, perché non l’ho data a mio figlio Sela». Ed egli non ebbe più relazioni[b] con lei.

27 Quando venne il tempo in cui doveva partorire, ecco che Tamar aveva in grembo due gemelli. 28 Mentre partoriva, l’uno di essi mise fuori una mano e la levatrice la prese e vi legò un filo scarlatto, dicendo: «Questo qui esce per primo». 29 Ma egli ritirò la mano, ed uscì suo fratello. Allora la levatrice disse: «Perché ti sei fatta questa breccia?» Per questo motivo gli fu messo nome Perez[c]. 30 Poi uscì suo fratello, che aveva alla mano il filo scarlatto; e fu chiamato Zerac[d].

Footnotes

  1. Genesi 38:9 Faceva in modo d’impedire il concepimento, lett. distruggeva per terra.
  2. Genesi 38:26 Non ebbe più relazioni con lei, lett. non riprese più a conoscerla.
  3. Genesi 38:29 Perez, lett. breccia.
  4. Genesi 38:30 Zerac, lett. il sorgere o il risplendere (del sole).

Judah and Tamar

38 At that time, Judah(A) left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam(B) named Hirah.(C) There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.(D) He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.(E) She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.(F) She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.(G) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.(H) But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;(I) so the Lord put him to death.(J)

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”(K) 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.(L)

11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law(M) Tamar,(N) “Live as a widow in your father’s household(O) until my son Shelah(P) grows up.”(Q) 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,(R) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,(S) to the men who were shearing his sheep,(T) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite(U) went with him.

13 When Tamar(V) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”(W) 14 she took off her widow’s clothes,(X) covered herself with a veil(Y) to disguise herself, and then sat down(Z) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.(AA) For she saw that, though Shelah(AB) 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,(AC) for she had covered her face. 16 Not realizing(AD) that she was his daughter-in-law,(AE) he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”(AF)

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

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

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

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

“Your seal(AJ) and its cord, and the staff(AK) in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.(AL) 19 After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes(AM) again.

20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite(AN) in order to get his pledge(AO) back from the woman, but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute(AP) who was beside the road at Enaim?”

“There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.

22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”

23 Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has,(AQ) or we will become a laughingstock.(AR) After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”

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!”(AS)

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.”(AT)

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

27 When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.(AW) 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife(AX) took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist(AY) and said, “This one came out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out,(AZ) and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.[a](BA) 30 Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist,(BB) came out. And he was named Zerah.[b](BC)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 38:29 Perez means breaking out.
  2. Genesis 38:30 Zerah can mean scarlet or brightness.