Genesis 38

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 It happened at about that time that Judah left his brothers, to go down and settle with a certainAdul amite called Hirah.	1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite cal ed Shua. He made her his wife and slept with her.	2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3 She conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Er.	3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son whom she named Onan.	4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5 Yet again she gave birth to a son whom she named Shelah. She was at Chezib when she gave birthto him.	5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6 Judah took a wife for his first-born Er, and her name was Tamar.	6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7 But Er, Judah's first-born, offended Yahweh, and Yahweh kil ed him.	7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew 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 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up 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 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
10 What he did was offensive to Yahweh, who killed him too.	10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
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 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went 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 in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
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 Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath 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 her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15 Judah, seeing her, took her for a prostitute, since her face was veiled.	15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
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 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
17 'I wil send you a kid from the flock,' he said. 'Agreed, if you give me a pledge until you send it,' shereplied.	17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
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 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19 Then she got up and left him and, taking off her veil, resumed her widow's weeds.	19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
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 Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
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 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
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 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that 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 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
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 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
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 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
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 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
27 When the time for her confinement came, there were twins in her womb!	27 And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
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.	28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first,
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 it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
30 Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, so he was named Zerah.	30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.