Genesis 38:20-26

English Standard Version Anglicised

²⁰ When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her. ²¹ And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute^[a] who was at ^(A)Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” ²² So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” ²³ And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

²⁴ About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law ^(B)has been immoral.^[b] Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.”^[c] And Judah said, “Bring her out, and ^(C)let her be burned.” ²⁵ As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, ^(D)the signet and the cord and the staff.” ²⁶ Then Judah identified them and said, ^(E)“She is more righteous than I, since ^(F)I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.