Genesis Chapter 38

Genesis Chapter 38
1 And at that time Judah went down from
his brethren, and turned in to a man
called Hirah an Adullamite.
2 And Judah saw there the daughter of a
man called Shuah a Canaanite: and he
took her to wife, and went in unto her.
3 So she conceived and bear a son, and
he called his name Er.
4 And she conceived again, and bear a
son, and she called his name Onan. 5
Moreover she bear yet a son, whom she
called Shelah: and Judah was at Chezib
when she bear him.
6 Then Judah took a wife to Er his
firstborn son whose name was Tamar. 7
Now Er the firstborn of Judah was
wicked in the sight of the Lord: therefore
the Lord slew him.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, Go in unto
thy brother’s wife, and do the office of a
kinsman unto her, and raise up seed unto
thy brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed should
not be his: therefore when he went in
unto his brother’s wife, he spilled it on
the ground, lest he should give seed unto
his brother.
10 And it was wicked in the eyes of the
Lord, which he did: wherefore he slew
him also.
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his
daughter in law, Remain a widow in thy
father’s house, till Shelah my son grow
up (for he thought thus, lest he die as
well as his brethren.) So Tamar went
and dwelt in her father’s house. 12 And
in process of time also the daughter of
Shuah Judah’s wife died. Then Judah,
when he had left mourning, went up to
his sheepshearers to Timnath, he, and his
neighbor Hirah the Adullamite.
13 And it was told Tamar, saying,
behold, thy father in law goeth up to
Timnath, to shear his sheep.
14 Then she put her widow’s garments
off from her, and covered her with a
veil, and wrapped herself, and sat down
in Pethah-enaim, which is by the way to
Timnath, because she saw that Shelah
was grown, and she was not given unto
him to wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he judged her
an whore: for she had covered her face.
16 And he turned to the way, towards
her, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me
lie with thee. (for he knew not that she
was his daughter in law) And she
answered, What wilt thou give me for to
lie with me?
17 Then said he, I will send thee a kid of
the goats from the flock. and she said,
Well, if thou wilt give me a pledge, till
thou send it. 18 Then he said, What is the
pledge that I shall give thee? And she
answered, Thy signet, and thy cloak, and
thy staff that is in thine hand. So he gave
it her, and lay by her, and she was with
child by him.
19 Then she rose, and went and put her
veil from her and put on her widow’s
raiment.
20 Afterward Judah sent a kid of the
goats by the hand of his neighbor the
Adullamite, for to receive his pledge
from the woman’s hand: but he found her
not.
21 Then asked he the men of that place,
saying, Where is the whore, that sat in
Enaim by the way side? And they
answered, There was no whore here. 22
He came therefore to Judah again, and
said, I cannot find her, and also the men
of the place said, There was no whore
there.
23 Then Judah said, Let her take it to
her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent
this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24 Now after three months, one told
Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law
hath played the whore, and lo, with
playing the whore, she is great with
child. Then Judah said, Bring ye her
forth and let her be burned.
25 When she was brought forth, she sent
to her father in law, saying, By the man,
unto whom these things pertain, am I
with child: and said also, Look, I pray
thee, whose these are, the seal, and the
cloak, and the staff. 26 Then Judah knew
them, and said, She is more righteous
than I: for she hath done it because I
gave her not to Shelah my son. So he lay
with her no more.
27 Now, when the time was come that
she should be delivered, behold, there
were twins in her womb.
28 And when she was in travail, the one
put out his hand: and the midwife took
and bound a red thread about his hand,
saying, This is come out first. 29 But
when he plucked his hand back again, lo,
his brother came out, and the midwife
said, How hast thou broken the breach
upon thee? And his name was called
Perez.
30 And afterward came out his brother
that had the red thread about his hand,
and his name was called Zerah.