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) 2} There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.^(D) He married her and made love to her; ³ she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.^{(E) 4} She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.^{(F) 5} She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.^(G) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

⁶ Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.^{(H) 7} But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;^(I) so the Lord put him to death.^(J)

⁸ 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) 9} 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)

Psalm 7^[a]

A shiggaion^[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

Jesus Predicts His Death

²⁰ Now there were some Greeks^(A) among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida^(B) in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³ Jesus replied, “The hour^(C) has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.^{(D) 24} Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,^(E) it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it^(F) for eternal life.^{(G) 26} Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.^(H) My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled,^(I) and what shall I say? ‘Father,^(J) save me from this hour’?^(K) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven,^(L) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰ Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,^(M) not mine. ³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world;^(N) now the prince of this world^(O) will be driven out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up^[a] from the earth,^(P) will draw all people to myself.”^{(Q) 33} He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.^(R)

³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law^(S) that the Messiah will remain forever,^(T) so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man^(U) must be lifted up’?^(V) Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light^(W) just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light,^(X) before darkness overtakes you.^(Y) Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.”^(Z) When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.^(AA)

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

³⁷ Even after Jesus had performed so many signs^(AB) in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

³⁹ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory^(AE) and spoke about him.^(AF)

⁴² Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.^(AG) But because of the Pharisees^(AH) they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;^{(AI) 43} for they loved human praise^(AJ) more than praise from God.^(AK)

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.^{(AL) 45} The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.^{(AM) 46} I have come into the world as a light,^(AN) so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.^{(AO) 48} There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them^(AP) at the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me^(AQ) to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life.^(AR) So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”^(AS)