Genesis 38
EasyEnglish Bible
Judah's family[a]
38 At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went to stay with a man from the town of Adullam. His name was Hirah. 2 While he was there, Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man called Shua. Judah married her and he had sex with her. 3 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. Judah gave him the name ‘Er’. 4 His wife became pregnant again, and she gave birth to another son. She gave him the name ‘Onan’. 5 Later, she gave birth to another son. She gave him the name ‘Shelah’. She gave birth to Shelah in Kezib.
6 Judah found a wife for his oldest son, Er. Her name was Tamar. 7 But the Lord saw that Er, Judah's firstborn son, was very bad. So the Lord caused him to die. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, ‘You should marry your dead brother's wife and have sex with her. You are her dead husband's brother. You must have a son who will become your dead brother's descendant.’[b]
9 But Onan did not want Tamar to give birth to his child. He knew that the child would not belong to him. So when he had sex with his brother's wife Tamar, he made his semen go onto the ground. Onan did this so that Tamar would not give birth to a child for his dead brother.
10 What Onan did was bad, and the Lord was not pleased with him. So the Lord caused Onan to die too. 11 Then Judah said to his son's widow, Tamar, ‘Go back to your father's house and live there as a widow. Stay there until my son Shelah grows older.’ Judah thought, ‘I do not want Shelah to die in the way that his brothers died.’ So Tamar went to live in her father's house.
12 After a long time, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had stopped being sad because of her death, he left his home to travel. He went with his friend, Hirah the Adullamite, to a place called Timnah. He went to see the men who were cutting the wool from his sheep. 13 Someone told Tamar, ‘Your husband's father is going to Timnah to get the wool from his sheep.’
14 Tamar knew that Judah's son Shelah had now become a man. But Judah had not yet let Shelah marry her. So Tamar took off her widow's clothes and she put on other clothes. She covered her head with a veil. She did not want anyone to recognize her. Then she sat at the gate of Enaim. Enaim is a town on the road that goes to Timnah.
15 Judah saw her as she sat there. He thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. 16 He did not know that she was his son's widow. He went to her at the side of the road. He said, ‘Let me have sex with you.’ Tamar asked him, ‘If I have sex with you, what will you give me?’ 17 Judah replied, ‘I will take a young goat from my animals and I will give it to you.’ Tamar said, ‘Please give me something now to show me that you will really send the goat to me.’ 18 Judah asked her, ‘What should I give you?’ Tamar replied, ‘Give me your special ring and the string that holds it. And give me the stick that is in your hand.’[c] So Judah gave them to her. He had sex with her. As a result, she became pregnant.
19 After this, Tamar left there and she took off her veil. She put her widow's clothes on again.
20 Judah sent his friend Hirah, the Adullamite, to take a young goat back to where the woman had been. Judah wanted to get his special things back from the woman. But Hirah could not find the woman. 21 He asked some men who lived there, ‘Where is the temple prostitute who sat by the road at Enaim?’[d] But the men said, ‘There has not been any prostitute here.’
22 So Hirah went back to Judah, with the goat. He told him, ‘I did not find her. The men who lived there said, “There has not been any temple prostitute here.” ’ 23 So Judah said, ‘Let her keep the things that I gave to her. People will laugh at me if you go back there again. I sent this young goat for her, as I promised, but you could not find her.’
24 Three months later, someone told Judah, ‘Your dead son's wife, Tamar, has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant.’ Judah said, ‘Take her out of the town and burn her to death!’ 25 So they took Tamar away to kill her. But she sent a message to her dead husband's father. She said, ‘The man that these things belong to had sex with me. That is why I am pregnant. Look at these things carefully. Do you know who the ring, its string, and the stick belong to?’
26 Judah saw that the things belonged to him. He said, ‘She is more honest than I am. She has done this because I would not give her to my son, Shelah, as his wife.’ Judah did not have sex with Tamar again.
27 The time came for Tamar to give birth, and there were twins! 28 While she was giving birth, one baby put out his hand. The woman who was helping Tamar tied a red string to that baby's arm. She said, ‘This baby came out first.’ 29 But then the baby moved his hand back inside and his brother came out first. The woman said, ‘You have opened a way for yourself to come out!’ So they gave him the name ‘Perez’.[e] 30 Then his brother came out, with the red string on his arm. They gave him the name ‘Zerah’.
Footnotes
- 38:1 Judah lived among the Canaanites. He married a Canaanite woman. But God wanted the Israelites to keep themselves separate from foreign people.
- 38:8 In those days, there was a custom. If a man died before his wife had had children, his brother had to marry the dead man's wife. The family would think of a new son born to those parents as the child of the dead brother. So this son would receive any land belonging to the dead man.
- 38:18 The special ring and the stick would have Judah's mark on them. So other people would know who they belonged to.
- 38:21 A temple prostitute sat at a place where people worshipped foreign gods.
- 38:29 ‘Perez’ means ‘pushing out’.
Genesis 38
Het Boek
Juda en Tamar
38 In deze tijd scheidde Juda zich af van zijn broers en trok naar Adullam, waar hij een vriend kreeg, Chira genaamd. 2 Hij ontmoette daar een Kanaänitisch meisje en trouwde met haar. Zij was de dochter van Sua. 3-5 Zij woonden in Chezib en kregen drie zonen: Er, Onan en Sela. Hun moeder had hun namen gegeven, uitgezonderd Er, die had zijn naam van zijn vader gekregen.
6 Toen zijn oudste zoon Er opgroeide, regelde Juda een huwelijk voor hem met een meisje dat Tamar heette. 7 Maar Er was een slecht mens en de Here doodde hem. 8 Toen zei Juda tegen Ers broer, Onan: ‘Jij moet met Tamar trouwen, zoals de wet dat voorschrijft aan de broer van een dode. De zonen die zij van jou krijgt, zullen Ers erfgenamen zijn.’ 9 Maar Onan zat helemaal niet te wachten op een kind dat hij nooit het zijne zou kunnen noemen. Hij trouwde wel met Tamar, maar elke keer dat zij met elkaar sliepen, liet hij zijn zaad op de grond terechtkomen, zodat zij geen kind kon krijgen dat aan zijn broer behoorde. 10 Dat was echter zonde in de ogen van de Here en Hij doodde ook Onan.
11 Toen zei Juda tegen zijn schoondochter Tamar dat ze niet moest hertrouwen, maar teruggaan naar haar ouders. Als Judaʼs jongste zoon Sela oud genoeg was, kon die met de weduwe van zijn oudere broers trouwen. Hij was eigenlijk niet van plan Sela met haar te laten trouwen, want hij was bang dat Sela dan ook zou sterven. Zo ging Tamar terug naar haar ouderlijk huis.
12 Na verloop van tijd stierf Judaʼs vrouw. Na de rouwtijd gingen Juda en zijn vriend Chira, de Adullamiet, naar Timna om toezicht te houden op het scheren van de schapen. 13 Toen iemand Tamar vertelde dat haar schoonvader naar Timna was vertrokken voor het schaapscheren en zij zich realiseerde dat Juda haar nooit met Sela zou laten trouwen, ook al was die nu volwassen, 14 deed ze haar weduwenkleding uit en bedekte haar gezicht met een sluier. Zo vermomd ging zij zitten bij de toegangsweg naar Enaïm, langs de weg naar Timna. 15 Juda zag haar toen hij langs kwam en dacht dat zij een prostituee was, omdat zij een sluier droeg. 16 Hij kwam op haar af en stelde haar voor met hem te slapen, niet wetend dat zij zijn eigen schoondochter was. ‘Wat betaalt u mij daarvoor?’ vroeg zij. 17 ‘Ik zal u een jonge geit uit mijn kudde sturen,’ beloofde hij. ‘Kunt u mij een onderpand geven, zodat ik zeker weet dat u die geit zult sturen?’ wilde zij weten. 18 ‘Welk onderpand zou u willen hebben?’ informeerde hij. ‘Uw zegelring en uw wandelstok,’ antwoordde zij. Die gaf hij haar. Daarna liep hij met haar mee en zij sliepen met elkaar. Zo raakte zij in verwachting. 19 Hierna deed ze haar sluier af en trok ze haar weduwenkleding weer aan.
20 Juda vroeg zijn vriend Chira haar de jonge geit te bezorgen en het onderpand mee terug te nemen. Maar Chira kon haar niet vinden. 21 Hij deed navraag bij de mannen van de stad: ‘Waar woont die prostituee die hier langs de weg zat?’ ‘Wij hebben hier nooit een publieke vrouw gehad,’ antwoordden zij. 22 Chira ging terug naar Juda en vertelde hem dat hij haar nergens kon vinden en wat de mannen van Enaïm hadden gezegd. 23 ‘Nou, laat ze die spullen dan maar houden!’ riep Juda uit. ‘Wij hebben ons best gedaan. Iedereen zou ons uitlachen als we nog eens teruggingen.’
24 Ongeveer drie maanden later hoorde Juda dat zijn schoondochter Tamar in verwachting was, waarschijnlijk door prostitutie. ‘Breng haar naar buiten en verbrand haar!’ schreeuwde Juda. 25 Maar toen zij werd meegenomen, liet Tamar een boodschap naar haar schoonvader sturen: ‘De eigenaar van deze zegelring en deze wandelstok is de vader van mijn kind. Herkent u ze?’ 26 Juda gaf toe dat de zegelring en de wandelstok van hem waren en zei: ‘Zij staat meer in haar recht dan ik, want ik heb mijn belofte dat zij met mijn zoon Sela mocht trouwen, niet gehouden.’ Maar hij trouwde toch niet met haar. 27 Het moment van de bevalling brak aan en Tamar kreeg een tweeling. 28 Bij de geboorte bond de vroedvrouw een rode draad om de pols van het kind dat het eerst verscheen, 29 maar het kind trok zijn hand terug om plaats te maken voor zijn broer. ‘Dat is een doorzetter!’ riep de vroedvrouw. Daarom noemde zij het kind Peres (Doorbraak). 30 Even later kwam ook het kind met de rode draad om de pols ter wereld. Zij noemde hem Zerach (Opgang).
Genesis 38
New American Standard Bible
Judah and Tamar
38 And it came about at that time, that Judah [a]departed from his brothers and [b]visited a certain (A)Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (B)Shua; and he took her as a wife and had relations with her. 3 And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him (C)Er. 4 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him (D)Onan. 5 She gave birth to yet another son and named him (E)Shelah; and it was at Chezib [c]that she gave birth to him.
6 Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But (F)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “(G)Have relations with your brother’s wife and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a [d]child for your brother.” 9 Now Onan knew that the [e](H)child would not be his; so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he [f]wasted his seed on the ground so that he would not give [g]a child to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He (I)took his life also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “(J)Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he [h]thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 Now [i]after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when [j]the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at (K)Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to (L)Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she [k]removed her widow’s garments and (M)covered herself with a [l]veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of [m]Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and (N)she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he assumed she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “[n]Here now, let me have relations with you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may have relations with me?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a [o]young goat from the flock.” She then said, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “(O)Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had relations with her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she got up and departed, and [p]removed her [q]veil and put on her widow’s garments.
20 When Judah sent the [r]young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 He asked the people of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the people of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her [s]keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. [t]After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”
24 Now it was about three months later that Judah was [u]informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and behold, she is also pregnant by prostitution.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and (P)have her burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong.” She also said, “(Q)Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 And Judah recognized them, and said, “(R)She is more righteous than I, since (S)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not [v]have relations with her again.
27 It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were (T)twins in her womb. 28 Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, that one baby put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But it came about as he drew back his hand that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named [w](U)Perez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named [x](V)Zerah.
Footnotes
- Genesis 38:1 Lit went down
- Genesis 38:1 Lit turned aside to
- Genesis 38:5 Lit when
- Genesis 38:8 Lit seed
- Genesis 38:9 Lit seed
- Genesis 38:9 Lit spilled on the ground
- Genesis 38:9 Lit seed
- Genesis 38:11 Lit said
- Genesis 38:12 Lit the days became many and
- Genesis 38:12 Lit Judah was comforted, he
- Genesis 38:14 Lit removed from herself
- Genesis 38:14 Or shawl
- Genesis 38:14 In Josh 15:34, Enam
- Genesis 38:16 Or Come, now
- Genesis 38:17 Lit kid of goats
- Genesis 38:19 Lit removed from herself
- Genesis 38:19 Or shawl
- Genesis 38:20 Lit kid of goats by the hand of
- Genesis 38:23 Lit take for herself
- Genesis 38:23 Lit Behold
- Genesis 38:24 Lit informed, saying
- Genesis 38:26 Lit know her yet again
- Genesis 38:29 I.e., a breach
- Genesis 38:30 I.e., a dawning or brightness
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