1.Mose 38 | New International Reader’s Version

Judah and Tamar

1 At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went down to stay with a man named Hirah from the town of Adullam. 2 There Judah met the daughter of a man from Canaan. His name was Shua. Judah married her and slept with her. 3 She became pregnant and had a son. They named him Er. 4 She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan. 5 She had still another son. She named him Shelah. He was born at Kezib. 6 Judah got a wife for his eldest son Er. Her name was Tamar. 7 But Judah’s eldest son Er was evil in the LORD’s eyes. So the LORD put him to death. 8 Then 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.’ 9 But 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. 10 What he did was evil in the LORD’s eyes. So the LORD put him to death also. 11 Then 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. 12 After 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. 13 Tamar was told, ‘Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to clip the wool from his sheep.’ 14 So 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. 15 Judah saw her. He thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face with a veil. 16 He 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.’ 18 He 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. 19 After she left, she took off her veil. She put on her widow’s clothes again. 20 Judah 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. 21 He 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. 22 So 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.” ’ 23 Then 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.’ 24 About 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!’ 25 As 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?’ 26 Judah 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. 27 The time came for Tamar to have her baby. There were twin boys inside her. 28 As 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.’ 29 But 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. 30 Then his brother, who had the red thread on his wrist, came out. So he was named Zerah.

English Standard Version

Judah and Tamar

1 It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah* was in Chezib when she bore him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 10 And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house. 12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. 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* who was at 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 has been immoral.* Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.”* And Judah said, “Bring her out, and 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, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again. 27 When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. 28 And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez.* 30 Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

1.Mose 38 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

Judah and Tamar

Judah and Tamar