Genesis 38

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 It happened at about that time that Judah left his brothers, to go down and settle with a certainAdul amite called Hirah.	1 At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.
2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite cal ed Shua. He made her his wife and slept with her.	2 And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.
3 She conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Er.	3 And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.
4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son whom she named Onan.	4 And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.
5 Yet again she gave birth to a son whom she named Shelah. She was at Chezib when she gave birthto him.	5 She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. after whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.
6 Judah took a wife for his first-born Er, and her name was Tamar.	6 And Juda took a wife for Her his firstborn, whose name was Thamar.
7 But Er, Judah's first-born, offended Yahweh, and Yahweh kil ed him.	7 And Her, the firstborn of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord: and was slain by him.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, 'Take your brother's wife, and do your duty as her brother-in-law, tomaintain your brother's line.'	8 Juda, therefore add to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother's wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother.
9 But Onan, knowing that the line would not count as his, spilt his seed on the ground every time heslept with his brother's wife, to avoid providing offspring for his brother.	9 He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother's wife, spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother's name.
10 What he did was offensive to Yahweh, who killed him too.	10 And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, 'Go home as a widow to your father, until my sonShelah grows up,' for he was thinking, 'He must not die like his brothers.' So Tamar went home to her father.	11 Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter in law: Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way and dwelt in her father's house.
12 A long time passed, and then Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. After Judah had beencomforted he went up to Timnah for the shearing of his sheep, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.	12 And after many days were past, the daughter of Sue the wife of Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite the shepherd of his flock.
13 When Tamar was told, 'Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah for the shearing of his sheep,'	13 And it was told Thamar that her father in law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep.
14 she changed out of her widow's clothes, wrapped a veil around her to disguise herself, and sat downat the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that, although Shelah was grown up, shehad not been given to him as his wife.	14 And she put off the garments of her widowhood, and took a veil: and changing her dress, sat in the cross way, that leadeth to Thamnas: because Sela was grown up, and she had not been married to him.
15 Judah, seeing her, took her for a prostitute, since her face was veiled.	15 dummy verses inserted by amos
16 Going up to her on the road, he said, 'Here, let me sleep with you.' He did not know that she was hisdaughter-in-law. 'What wil you give me for sleeping with you?' she asked.	16 When Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot: for she had covered her face, lest she should be known.
17 'I wil send you a kid from the flock,' he said. 'Agreed, if you give me a pledge until you send it,' shereplied.
18 'What pledge shal I give you?' he asked. 'Your seal and cord and the staff you are holding,' shereplied. He gave them to her and slept with her, and she conceived by him.	18 He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest,
19 Then she got up and left him and, taking off her veil, resumed her widow's weeds.	19 Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge ? She answered: Thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The woman therefore at one copulation conceived.
20 Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adul amite, to recover the pledge from the woman. But he did notfind her.	20 And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood.
21 He enquired from the men of the place, 'Where is the prostitute who was by the roadside at Enaim?''There has been no prostitute there,' they answered.	21 And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her,
22 So returning to Judah he said, 'I did not find her. What is more, the men of the place told me therehad been no prostitute there.'	22 asked the men of that place : Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place,
23 'Let her keep the things,' Judah said, 'or we shal become a laughing-stock. At least I sent her thiskid, even though you did not find her.'	23 He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; moreover the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there.
24 About three months later, Judah was told, 'Your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore,she is pregnant, as a result of her misconduct.' 'Bring her out,' Judah ordered, 'and let her be burnt alive!'	24 Juda said : Let her take it to herself ; surely she cannot charge us with a,lie: I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her.
25 But as she was being led off, she sent word to her father-in-law, 'It was the owner of these whomade me pregnant. Please verify', she said, 'whose seal and cord and staff these are.'	25 And behold after three months they told a lie, saying: Thamar, thy daughter in law hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. And Juda said : Bring her out that she may be burnt.
26 Judah recognised them and said, 'She was right and I was wrong, since I did not give her to my sonShelah.' He had no further intercourse with her.	26 dummy verses inserted by amos
27 When the time for her confinement came, there were twins in her womb!	27 But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.
28 During the delivery, one of them put out a hand, and the midwife caught it and tied a scarlet thread toit, indicating that this was the first to arrive.
29 Whereupon, he drew back his hand, and out came his brother. Then she said, 'What a breach youhave opened for yourself!' So he was named Perez.	29 And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying:
30 Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, so he was named Zerah.	30 This shall come forth the first.