Genesis 38:3-10

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

³ and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. ⁴ Again she conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. ⁵ Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. She^[a] was in Chezib when she bore him. ⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar. ⁷ But Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. ⁸ Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” ⁹ But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. ¹⁰ And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord, and he slew him also.