Genesis 38

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 the same time, Judah, descending from his brothers, turned toward an Adullamite man, named Hirah.
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 called Shua, of Canaan. And taking her as a wife, he entered to her.
3 She conceived and gave birth to a son whom she named Er.	3 And she conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Er.
4 She conceived again and gave birth to a son whom she named Onan.	4 And conceiving offspring again, having given birth to a son, she 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 Likewise, she bore a third, whom she called Shelah, 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 Then Judah gave a wife to his first born Er, whose name was Tamar.
7 But Er, Judah's first-born, offended Yahweh, and Yahweh kil ed him.	7 And it also happened that Er, the first born of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the Lord and was killed 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 Therefore, Judah said to his son Onan: “Enter to the wife of your brother, and associate with her, so that you may raise offspring to your 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 sons to be born would not be his, when he entered to the wife of his brother, he spilled his seed on 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 for this reason, the Lord struck him down, 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 Because of this matter, Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Be a widow in your father’s house, until my son Shelah grows up.” For he was afraid, lest he also might die, just as his brothers did. She went away, and she lived 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 Then, after many days had passed, the daughter of Shua, the wife of Judah, died. And when he accepted consolation after his mourning, he went up to the shearers of his sheep at Timnah, he and Hirah, the herdsman of the Adullamite 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 reported to Tamar that her father-in-law had gone up to Timnah to shear the 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 storing away the garments of her widowhood, she took up a veil. And changing her clothing, she sat at the crossroad that leads to Timnah, because Shelah had grown up, and she had not received him as a husband.
15 Judah, seeing her, took her for a prostitute, since her face was veiled.	15 And when Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot. For she had covered her face, lest she be recognized.
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 entering to her, he said, “Permit me to join with you.” For he did not know her to be his daughter-in-law. And she responded, “What will you give to me, to enjoy me as a concubine?”
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 said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And again, she said, “I will allow what you want, if you give me a pledge, until you may send what you promise.”
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 said, “What do you want to be given for a pledge?” She responded, “Your ring and bracelet, and the staff that you hold in your hand.” Thereupon, the woman, from one sexual encounter, conceived.
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 storing away the garments that she had taken up, she was clothed in 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 Then Judah sent a young goat by his shepherd, the Adullamite, so that he might receive the pledge that he had given to the woman. But, when he had not found 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 he questioned the men of that place: “Where is the woman who sat at the crossroad?” And they all responded, “There has been 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 He returned to Judah, and he said to him: “I did not find her. Moreover, the men of that place told me that a prostitute had never sat 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 Judah said: “Let her hold herself to blame. Certainly, she is not able to accuse us of a lie. I sent the young goat that I had promised, and you did not 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 And behold, after three months, they reported to Judah, saying, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has committed fornication and her abdomen appears to be enlarged.” And Judah said, “Produce her, so that she may 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 when she was led out to the punishment, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: “I conceived by the man to whom these things belong. Recognize whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is.”
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 But he, acknowledging the gifts, said: “She is more just than I am. For I did not deliver her to my son Shelah.” However, he knew her no more.
27 When the time for her confinement came, there were twins in her womb!	27 Then, at the moment of birth, there appeared twins in the womb. And so, in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, on which the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying,
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 “This one will go 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 in truth, drawing back his hand, the other came out. And the woman said, “Why is the partition divided for you?” And for this reason, she called his name Perez.
30 Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, so he was named Zerah.	30 After this, his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread. And she called him Zerah.