Genesis 38
New Living Translation
Judah and Tamar
38 About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah. 2 There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her. When he slept with her, 3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er. 4 Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan. 5 And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah’s birth, they were living at Kezib.
6 In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar. 7 But Er was a wicked man in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord took his life. 8 Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”
9 But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. 10 But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Go back to your parents’ home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you.” (But Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father’s home.
12 Some years later Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep. 13 Someone told Tamar, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. 15 Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. 16 So he stopped and propositioned her. “Let me have sex with you,” he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law.
“How much will you pay to have sex with me?” Tamar asked.
17 “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah promised.
“But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?” she asked.
18 “What kind of guarantee do you want?” he replied.
She answered, “Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying.” So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. 19 Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing as usual.
20 Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn’t find her. 21 So he asked the men who lived there, “Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?”
“We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,” they replied.
22 So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, “I couldn’t find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they’ve never had a shrine prostitute there.”
23 “Then let her keep the things I gave her,” Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her.”
24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.”
“Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.
25 But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?”
26 Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Tamar again.
27 When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins. 28 While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out first.” 29 But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez.[a] 30 Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.[b]
Genesis 38
King James 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 Shuah; 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 conceived, and 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 firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.
8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed should 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 that he should give seed to his brother.
10 And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, 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 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 bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: 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 also, 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 bracelets, and staff.
26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that 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 the one put out his 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, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
Génesis 38
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Judá y Tamar
38 Por aquel tiempo Judá se separó[a] de sus hermanos, y visitó a[b] un adulamita(A) llamado Hira. 2 Allí Judá vio a la hija de un cananeo llamado Súa(B). La tomó, y se llegó a ella. 3 Ella concibió y dio a luz un hijo, y le puso por nombre Er(C). 4 Concibió otra vez y dio a luz otro hijo, y le puso por nombre Onán(D). 5 Aún dio a luz a otro hijo, y le puso por nombre Sela(E). Y fue en Quezib que[c] le nació.
6 Entonces Judá tomó mujer para Er su primogénito, la cual se llamaba Tamar. 7 Pero Er, primogénito de Judá, era malo ante los ojos del Señor, y el Señor le quitó la vida(F).
8 Entonces Judá dijo a Onán: «Llégate a la mujer de tu hermano, y cumple con ella tu deber como cuñado, y levanta descendencia[d] a tu hermano(G)». 9 Y Onán sabía que la descendencia[e] no sería suya. Acontecía que cuando se llegaba a la mujer de su hermano, derramaba su semen en tierra para no dar descendencia[f] a su hermano(H). 10 Pero lo que hacía era malo ante los ojos del Señor. También a él le quitó la vida(I). 11 Entonces Judá dijo a su nuera Tamar: «Quédate viuda en casa de tu padre hasta que crezca mi hijo Sela(J)»; pues pensaba[g]: «Temo[h] que él muera también como sus hermanos». Así que Tamar se fue y se quedó en casa de su padre.
12 Pasaron muchos días y murió la hija de Súa, mujer de Judá. Y pasado el duelo, Judá[i] subió a los trasquiladores de sus ovejas en Timnat(K), él y su amigo Hira el adulamita. 13 Y se lo hicieron saber a Tamar, diciéndole: «Mira, tu suegro sube a Timnat(L) a trasquilar sus ovejas». 14 Entonces ella se quitó sus ropas de viuda y se cubrió con un velo[j](M), se envolvió bien y se sentó a la entrada de Enaim(N) que está en el camino de Timnat. Porque veía que Sela había crecido, y ella aún no había sido dada a él por mujer.
15 Cuando la vio Judá, pensó que era una ramera, pues se había cubierto el rostro. 16 Y se acercó a ella junto al camino, y le dijo: «Vamos[k], déjame estar contigo[l]»; pues no sabía que era su nuera. «¿Qué me darás por estar conmigo[m]?», le dijo ella. 17 «Yo te enviaré un cabrito de las cabras del rebaño», respondió Judá. «¿Me darás una prenda hasta que lo envíes?», le dijo ella. 18 «¿Qué prenda tengo que darte?», preguntó Judá. «Tu sello, tu cordón y el báculo que tienes en la mano(O)», dijo ella. Y él se los dio y se llegó a ella, y ella concibió de él. 19 Entonces ella se levantó y se fue. Se quitó el velo[n] y se puso sus ropas de viuda.
20 Cuando Judá envió el cabrito por medio de[o] su amigo el adulamita, para recobrar la prenda de mano de la mujer, no la halló. 21 Y preguntó a los hombres del lugar: «¿Dónde está la ramera[p] que estaba en Enaim, junto al camino?». «Aquí no ha habido ninguna ramera[q]», dijeron ellos.
22 Él volvió donde Judá, y le dijo: «No la encontré. Además, los hombres del lugar dijeron: “Aquí no ha habido ninguna ramera[r]”». 23 Entonces Judá dijo: «Que se quede con las prendas[s], para que no seamos causa de burla. Ya ves[t] que envié este cabrito, y tú no la has encontrado».
24 Y a los tres meses, informaron a Judá, diciendo: «Tu nuera Tamar ha fornicado, y[u] ha quedado encinta a causa de las fornicaciones». «Sáquenla y que sea quemada(P)», dijo Judá. 25 Cuando la sacaban, ella envió a decir a su suegro: «Del hombre a quien pertenecen estas cosas estoy encinta». Y añadió «Le ruego que examine(Q) y vea de quién es este sello, este cordón y este báculo».
26 Judá los reconoció, y dijo: «Ella es más justa que yo(R), por cuanto yo no la di por mujer a mi hijo Sela». Y no volvió a tener más relaciones con ella[v](S).
27 Y sucedió que al tiempo de dar a luz, había mellizos en su seno(T). 28 Aconteció, además, que mientras daba a luz, uno de ellos sacó su mano, y la partera la tomó y le ató un hilo escarlata en la mano, diciendo: «Este salió primero». 29 Pero sucedió que cuando él retiró su mano, su hermano salió. Entonces ella dijo: «¡Qué brecha te has abierto!». Por eso le pusieron por nombre Fares[w](U). 30 Después salió su hermano que tenía el hilo escarlata en la mano; y le pusieron por nombre Zara[x](V).
Footnotes
- 38:1 Lit. descendió.
- 38:1 Lit. se desvió hacia.
- 38:5 Lit. cuando.
- 38:8 Lit. simiente.
- 38:9 Lit. simiente.
- 38:9 Lit. simiente.
- 38:11 Lit. decía.
- 38:11 O No sea.
- 38:12 Lit. Y cuando Judá se hubo consolado.
- 38:14 O manto.
- 38:16 Lit. Ven ahora.
- 38:16 Lit. llegarme a ti.
- 38:16 Lit. llegarte a mí.
- 38:19 O manto.
- 38:20 Lit. cabrito de cabras por mano de.
- 38:21 O ramera de culto pagano.
- 38:21 O ramera de culto pagano.
- 38:22 O ramera de culto pagano.
- 38:23 Lit. Que las tome para sí.
- 38:23 Lit. He aquí.
- 38:24 Lit. y también.
- 38:26 Lit. ya no volvió a conocerla más.
- 38:29 I.e. Brecha.
- 38:30 I.e. Amanecer.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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