Genesis 38

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN 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 About that time Judah parted from his brothers and pitched his tent near a certain Adullamite named Hirah.
2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite cal ed Shua. He made her his wife and slept with her.	2 There he met the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua, married her, and had relations with her.
3 She conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Er.	3 She conceived and bore a son, whom she named Er.
4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son whom she named Onan.	4 Again she conceived and bore a son, whom she named Onan.
5 Yet again she gave birth to a son whom she named Shelah. She was at Chezib when she gave birthto him.	5 Then she bore still another son, whom she named Shelah. They were in Chezib when he was born.
6 Judah took a wife for his first-born Er, and her name was Tamar.	6 Judah got a wife named Tamar for his first-born, Er.
7 But Er, Judah's first-born, offended Yahweh, and Yahweh kil ed him.	7 But Er, Judah's first-born, greatly offended the LORD; so the LORD took his life.
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 Then Judah said to Onan, "Unite with your brother's widow, in fulfillment of your duty as brother-in-law, and thus preserve your brother's line."
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 Onan, however, knew that the descendants would not be counted as his; so whenever he had relations with his brother's widow, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring for his brother.
10 What he did was offensive to Yahweh, who killed him too.	10 What he did greatly offended the LORD, and the LORD took his life too.
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 Thereupon Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Stay as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"--for he feared that Shelah also might die like his brothers. So Tamar went to live 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 Years passed, and Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah completed the period of mourning, he went up to Timnah for the shearing of his sheep, in company with 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 When Tamar was told that her father-in-law was on his way up to Timnah 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 she took off her widow's garb, veiled her face by covering herself with a shawl, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she was aware that, although Shelah was now grown up, she had not been given to him in marriage.
15 Judah, seeing her, took her for a prostitute, since her face was veiled.	15 When Judah saw her, he mistook her for a harlot, since 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 So he went over to her at the roadside, and not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he said, "Come, let me have intercourse with you." She replied, "What will you pay me for letting you have intercourse with 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 He answered, "I will send you a kid from the flock." "Very well," she said, "provided you leave a pledge until you 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 Judah asked, "What pledge am I to give to you?" She answered, "Your seal and cord, and the staff you carry." So he gave them to her and had intercourse with 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 When she went away, she took off her shawl and put on her widow's garb again.
20 Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adul amite, to recover the pledge from the woman. But he did notfind her.	20 Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite to recover the pledge from the woman; but he could not find her.
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 So he asked the men of the place, "Where is the temple prostitute, the one by the roadside in Enaim?" But they answered, "There has never been a temple prostitute here."
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 He went back to Judah and told him, "I could not find her; and besides, the men of the place said there was no temple prostitute there."
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 "Let her keep the things," Judah replied; "otherwise we shall become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her the kid, even though you were unable to find 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 About three months later, Judah was told that his daughter-in-law Tamar had played the harlot and was then with child from her harlotry. "Bring her out," cried Judah; "she shall be burned."
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 But as they were bringing her out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "It is by the man to whom these things belong that I am with child. Please verify," she added, "whose seal and cord and whose staff these are."
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 Judah recognized them and said, "She is more in the right than I am, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." But he had no further relations with her.
27 When the time for her confinement came, there were twins in her womb!	27 When the time of her delivery came, she was found to have twins 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 While she was giving birth, one infant put out his hand; and the midwife, taking a crimson thread, tied it on his hand, to note that this one 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 But as he withdrew his hand, his brother came out; and she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was called Perez.
30 Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, so he was named Zerah.	30 Afterward his brother came out; he was called Zerah.