Genesis 38
Complete Jewish Bible
38 (iv) It was at this time that Y’hudah went off from his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah who was an ‘Adulami. 2 There Y’hudah saw one of the daughters of a certain Kena‘ani whose name was Shua, and he took her and slept with her. 3 She conceived and had a son, whom he named ‘Er. 4 She conceived again and had a son, and she called him Onan. 5 Then she conceived yet again and had a son whom she called Shelah; he was in K’ziv when she gave birth to him.
6 Y’hudah took a wife for ‘Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But ‘Er, Y’hudah’s firstborn, was evil from Adonai’s perspective, so Adonai killed him. 8 Y’hudah said to Onan, “Go and sleep with your brother’s wife — perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and preserve your brother’s line of descent.” 9 However, Onan knew that the child would not count as his; so whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground, so as not to give his brother offspring. 10 What he did was evil from Adonai’s perspective, so he killed him too.
11 Then Y’hudah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Stay a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he thought, “I don’t want him to die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived at home with her father. 12 In due time, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Y’hudah, died. After Y’hudah had been comforted, he went up to be with his sheep-shearers in Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the ‘Adulami. 13 Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law has gone up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s clothes, completely covered her face with her veil, and sat at the entrance to ‘Einayim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she still was not being given to him as his wife. 15 When Y’hudah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. 16 So he went over to her where she was sitting and said, not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, “Come, let me sleep with you.” She answered, “What will you pay to sleep with me?” 17 He said, “I will send you a kid from the flock of goats.” She said, “Will you also give me something as a guarantee until you send it” 18 He answered, “What should I give you as a guarantee?” She said, “Your seal, with its cord, and the staff you’re carrying in your hand.” So he gave them to her, then went and slept with her; and she conceived by him. 19 She got up and went away, took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes.
20 Y’hudah sent the kid with his friend the ‘Adulami to receive the guarantee items back from the woman, but he couldn’t find her. 21 He asked the people near where she had been, “Where is the prostitute who was on the road at ‘Einayim?” But they answered, “There hasn’t been any prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Y’hudah and said, “I couldn’t find her; also the people there said, ‘There hasn’t been any prostitute here.’” 23 Y’hudah said, “All right, let her keep the things, so that we won’t be publicly shamed. I sent the kid, but you didn’t find her.”
24 About three months later Y’hudah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been acting like a whore; moreover, she is pregnant as a result of her prostitution.” Y’hudah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned alive!” 25 When she was brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Determine, I beg you, whose these are — the signet, the cords and the staff.” 26 Then Y’hudah acknowledged owning them. He said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t let her become the wife of my son Shelah.” And he never slept with her again.
27 When she went into labor, it became evident that she was going to have twins. 28 As she was in labor, one of them put out his hand; and the midwife took his hand and tied a scarlet thread on it, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But then he withdrew his hand, and his brother came out; so she said, “How did you manage to break out first?” Therefore he was named Peretz [breaking out]. 30 Then out came his brother, with the scarlet thread on his hand, and he was given the name Zerach [scarlet].
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.
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.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
