1At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went down to stay with a man named Hirah from the town of Adullam.2There Judah met the daughter of a man from Canaan. His name was Shua. Judah married her and slept with her.3She became pregnant and had a son. They named him Er.4She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan.5She had still another son. She named him Shelah. He was born at Kezib.6Judah got a wife for his eldest son Er. Her name was Tamar.7But Judah’s eldest son Er was evil in the LORD’s eyes. So the LORD put him to death.8Then Judah said to Onan, ‘Sleep with your brother’s wife. After all, you are her brother-in-law. So carry out your duty to her. Provide children for your brother.’9But Onan knew that the children wouldn’t belong to him. So every time he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground. He did it so he wouldn’t provide children for his brother.10What he did was evil in the LORD’s eyes. So the LORD put him to death also.11Then Judah spoke to his daughter-in-law Tamar. He said, ‘Live as a widow in your father’s home. Wait there until my son Shelah grows up.’ Judah was thinking, ‘Shelah might die too, just like his brothers.’ So Tamar went to live in her father’s home.12After a long time Judah’s wife died. She was the daughter of Shua. When Judah got over his sadness, he went up to Timnah. His friend Hirah from Adullam went with him. Men were clipping the wool from Judah’s sheep at Timnah.13Tamar was told, ‘Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to clip the wool from his sheep.’14So she took off her widow’s clothes. She covered her face with a veil so people wouldn’t know who she was. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim. Enaim is on the road to Timnah. Tamar knew that Shelah had grown up. But she hadn’t been given to him as his wife.15Judah saw her. He thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face with a veil.16He didn’t realise that she was his daughter-in-law. He went over to her by the side of the road. He said, ‘Come. Let me sleep with you.’ ‘What will you give me to sleep with you?’ she asked.17‘I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,’ he said. ‘Will you give me something that belongs to you?’ she asked. ‘I’ll keep it until you send the goat.’18He said, ‘What should I give you?’ ‘Give me your official seal and the string that it hangs from,’ she answered. ‘And give me your walking stick.’ So he gave them to her. Then he slept with her. And she became pregnant by him.19After she left, she took off her veil. She put on her widow’s clothes again.20Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat he had promised. He wanted to get back what he had given to the woman. But his friend Hirah couldn’t find her.21He asked the men who lived at Enaim, ‘Where’s the temple prostitute? She used to sit beside the road here.’ ‘There hasn’t been any temple prostitute here,’ they said.22So Hirah went back to Judah. He said, ‘I couldn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there didn’t know anything about her. They said, “There hasn’t been any temple prostitute here.” ’23Then Judah said, ‘Let her keep what she has. I don’t want people making fun of us. After all, I did send her this young goat. We can’t help it if you couldn’t find her.’24About three months later people brought word to Judah. They said, ‘Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of being a prostitute. Now she’s pregnant.’ Judah said, ‘Bring her out! Have her burned to death!’25As Tamar was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. She said, ‘I am pregnant by the man who owns these.’ She continued, ‘Do you recognise this seal and string and walking stick? Do you know who they belong to?’26Judah recognised them. He said, ‘She’s a better person than I am. I should have given her to my son Shelah, but I didn’t.’ Judah never slept with Tamar again.27The time came for Tamar to have her baby. There were twin boys inside her.28As the babies were being born, one of them stuck out his hand. So the woman helping Tamar took a bright red thread. The woman tied it on the baby’s wrist. She said, ‘This one came out first.’29But he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out first instead. She said, ‘Just look at how you have forced your way out!’ So he was called Perez.30Then his brother, who had the red thread on his wrist, came out. So he was named Zerah.
1По онова време Юда се отдели от братята си и се отби при един одоламец на име Ира. (Ge 19:3; 2Ki 4:8)2Юда, като видя там дъщерята на един ханаанец на име Суя, взе я и влезе при нея. (Ge 34:2; 1Ch 2:3)3И тя зачена и роди син; и той го наименува Ир. (Ge 46:12; Nu 26:19)4И зачена пак и роди син; и тя го наименува Онан. (Ge 46:12; Nu 26:19)5Пак роди и друг син и го наименува Шела. А Юда беше в Ахдив, когато тя го роди. (Ge 46:12; Nu 26:20)6След време Юда взе жена за първородния си Ир на име Тамар. (Ge 21:21)7А Ир, Юдовият първороден, беше нечестив пред ГОСПОДА; и ГОСПОД го уби. (Ge 46:12; Nu 26:19; 1Ch 2:3)8Тогава Юда каза на Онан: Влез при братовата си жена и извърши към нея длъжността на девер, и въздигни потомството на брат си. (De 25:5; Mt 22:24)9Но Онан знаеше, че потомството нямаше да бъде негово; затова, когато влизаше при братовата си жена, изливаше семето си на земята, за да не въздигне потомство на брат си. (De 25:6)10А това, което правеше, беше зло пред ГОСПОДА; затова Той и него уби. (Ge 46:12; Nu 26:19)11Тогава Юда каза на снаха си Тамар: Живей като вдовица в бащиния си дом, докато отрасне син ми Шела. Защото си казваше: Да не би и той да умре като братята си. И така, Тамар отиде и живя в бащиния си дом. (Le 22:13; Ru 1:13)12След дълго време Юдовата жена, дъщеря на Суя, умря; след като Юда се утеши, той и приятелят му, одоламецът Ира, отидоха при стригачите на овцете си в Тамна. (Jos 15:10; Jos 15:57; Jud 14:1; 2Sa 13:39)13И известиха на Тамар, като и казаха: Ето, свекърът ти отива в Тамна, за да стриже овцете си.14Тогава тя съблече вдовишките си дрехи, покри се с покривалото си, обви се и седна при кръстопътя на Енаим, който е по пътя за Тамна; защото видя, че Шела порасна, а тя не му беше дадена за жена. (Ge 38:11; Ge 38:26; Pr 7:12)15А Юда, като я видя, помисли, че е блудница, защото беше покрила лицето си.16И така, той свърна към нея на пътя и каза: Остави ме, моля, да вляза при тебе (защото не позна, че беше снаха му). И тя отговори: Какво ще ми дадеш, за да влезеш при мен?17А той каза: Ще ти изпратя яре от стадото. И тя отвърна: Даваш ли ми залог, докато го изпратиш? (Ge 38:20; Eze 16:33)18Той каза: Какъв залог да ти дам? И тя отговори: Печата си, ширита си и тоягата си, която е в ръката ти. И той и ги даде. След това влезе при нея и тя зачена от него. (Ge 38:25)19После тя стана и си отиде, свали покривалото си и облече вдовишките си дрехи. (Ge 38:14)20А Юда изпрати ярето чрез ръката на приятеля си, одоламеца, за да вземе залога от ръката на жената, но той не я намери.21Затова попита хората от онова място: Къде е блудницата, която беше на пътя при Енаим? А те отговориха: Тук не е имало блудница.22И той се върна при Юда и каза: Не я намерих; още и хората от онова място казаха: Тук не е имало блудница.23Юда каза: Нека си държи нещата, да не станем за присмех; ето, аз пратих това яре, но ти не я намери.24Около три месеца след това известиха на Юда: Снаха ти Тамар блудства; освен това е бременна от блудството. А Юда каза: Изведете я да се изгори. (Le 21:9; De 22:21; Jud 19:2)25А когато я извеждаха, тя изпрати до свекъра си да му кажат: От човека, чиито са тези неща, съм бременна. Каза още: Познай, моля, чии са тези неща – печатът, ширитът и тоягата. (Ge 37:32; Ge 38:18)26Юда ги позна и каза: Тя е по-права от мене, тъй като не я дадох на сина си Шела. И не я позна вече. (Ge 37:33; Ge 38:14; 1Sa 24:17; Job 34:31; Job 34:32)27И когато дойде времето и да роди, ето, в утробата и имаше близнаци.28Когато раждаше, едното простря ръка; и бабата взе, че върза червен конец на ръката му, и каза: Този излезе пръв.29А като дръпна назад ръката си, ето, брат му излезе; и тя каза: Какъв пролом си направи ти? Затова го наименуваха Фарес[1]. (Ge 46:12; Nu 26:20; 1Ch 2:4; Mt 1:3)30После излезе брат му, който имаше червения конец на ръката си, и него наименуваха Зара.