Genesis 38:24-30

Common English Bible

²⁴ About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and is now pregnant because of it.”

And Judah said, “Bring her out so that she may be burned.”

²⁵ When she was brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law, “I’m pregnant by the man who owns these things. See if you recognize whose seal, cord, and staff these are.”

²⁶ Judah recognized them and said, “She’s more righteous than I am, because I didn’t allow her to marry my son Shelah.” Judah never knew her intimately again.

²⁷ When she gave birth, she discovered she had twins in her womb. ²⁸ At birth, one boy put out his hand, and the midwife took it and tied a red thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” ²⁹ As soon as he pulled his hand back, his brother came out, and she said, “You’ve burst out on your own.” So he was named Perez.^{[a] 30} Afterward, his brother with the red thread on his hand came out, and he was named Zerah.^[b]