Livre de la Genèse 38

BIBLES DES PEUPLES	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Dans ce temps-là Juda se sépara de ses frères et se rendit chez un certain Hira d’Adoullam.	1 About the same time, Judah, descending from his brothers, turned toward an Adullamite man, named Hirah.
2 Là il fit connaissance de la fille d’un Cananéen nommé Choua, il l’épousa et s’unit à elle.	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 Elle devint enceinte et donna le jour à un fils qu’elle appela Er.	3 And she conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Er.
4 De nouveau elle fut enceinte et donna le jour à un fils qu’elle appela Onan.	4 And conceiving offspring again, having given birth to a son, she called him Onan.
5 Plus tard elle donna encore le jour à un fils qu’elle appela Chéla. Elle le mit au monde à Kézib.	5 Likewise, she bore a third, whom she called Shelah, after whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.
6 Juda prit pour son premier-né Er une femme du nom de Tamar.	6 Then Judah gave a wife to his first born Er, whose name was Tamar.
7 Mais Er, le premier-né de Juda, déplut à Yahvé et Yahvé le fit mourir.	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 Juda dit alors à Onan: “Va vers la femme de ton frère et remplis envers elle ton devoir de beau-frère: donne un descendant à ton frère.”	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 Mais Onan savait que cet enfant ne serait pas pour lui, aussi, quand il s’unissait à la femme de son frère, il se retirait et se souillait à terre pour ne pas donner de descendance à son frère.	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 En agissant ainsi il déplut à Yahvé qui le fit mourir lui aussi.	10 And for this reason, the Lord struck him down, because he did a detestable thing.
11 Alors Juda dit à sa belle-fille Tamar: “Retourne vivre chez ton père comme une veuve, le temps que mon fils Chéla ait grandi.” Il se disait en effet: “Je ne veux pas que celui-ci meure comme ses frères.” Tamar s’en retourna donc chez son père.	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 Après de longs jours, la femme de Juda, fille de Choua, mourut. Les jours de deuil étant passés, Juda monta à Timna avec Hira, son ami d’Adoullam, pour voir ses tondeurs de brebis.	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 On l’annonça à Tamar: “Voici que ton beau-père monte à Timna pour tondre son petit bétail.”	13 And it was reported to Tamar that her father-in-law had gone up to Timnah to shear the sheep.
14 Aussitôt elle ôta ses habits de veuve, se couvrit d’un voile et, ainsi voilée, elle s’assit à l’entrée d’Énayim sur la route de Timna. C’est que Tamar voyait qu’on ne lui avait pas donné Chéla qui pourtant avait grandi.	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 Quand Juda la vit avec son visage voilé, il la prit pour une prostituée.	15 And when Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot. For she had covered her face, lest she be recognized.
16 Ne sachant pas que c’était sa belle-fille, il s’approcha d’elle sur la route et lui dit: “Laisse-moi coucher avec toi.” Elle lui répondit: “Que me donneras-tu pour coucher avec moi?”	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 Il lui dit: “Je te donnerai un chevreau de mon troupeau.” Elle répondit: “Quel gage me donneras-tu en attendant de l’envoyer?”	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 Juda lui dit: “Quel gage veux-tu que je te donne?” “Le sceau que tu portes au cou avec son cordon, répondit elle, ainsi que le bâton que tu as dans la main.” Il les lui donna et coucha avec elle: il la laissa enceinte.	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 Quand elle s’en retourna, elle ôta son voile et reprit ses habits de veuve.	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 Juda envoya le chevreau par son ami d’Adoullam afin de reprendre les gages de la main de la femme, mais celui-ci ne la trouva pas.	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 Il interrogea les gens de l’endroit: “Où est la prostituée qu’on voyait sur la route à Énayim?” Ils répondirent: “Il n’y a jamais eu de prostituée ici!”	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 Il revint donc vers Juda et lui dit: “Je ne l’ai pas trouvée, et même les gens de l’endroit m’ont dit: Il n’y a jamais eu de prostituée ici.”	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 Juda lui répondit: “Qu’elle garde tout pour elle, cela vaut mieux pour nous que d’être tournés en ridicule. Tu ne l’as peut-être pas trouvée, mais moi, j’ai bien envoyé le chevreau!”	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 Or voici que trois mois plus tard on avertit Juda: “Ta belle-fille Tamar s’est prostituée; la voilà même enceinte à la suite de sa prostitution.” Juda répondit: “Faites-la sortir et qu’elle soit brûlée!”	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 Comme on l’emmenait, elle envoya dire à son beau-père: “Je suis enceinte de l’homme à qui appartiennent ces objets. Reconnais à qui appartiennent ce sceau et son cordon ainsi que ce bâton.”	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 Juda les reconnut et dit: “Elle est plus juste que moi, car je ne lui ai pas donné mon fils Chéla.” Mais ensuite il n’eut plus de rapports avec elle.	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 Quand arriva le temps où elle devait accoucher, il y avait deux jumeaux dans son ventre.	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 Tandis qu’elle accouchait, l’un d’eux sortit une main; l’accoucheuse la prit et y attacha un fil de couleur rouge en disant: “Celui-ci est sorti le premier.”	28 “This one will go out first.”
29 Mais il rentra sa main et c’est son frère qui sortit. Elle dit alors: “Quelle brèche tu as faite!” Et l’on donna à l’enfant le nom de Pérès.	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 Ensuite sortit son frère qui avait à sa main le fil rouge; on lui donna le nom de Zérah.	30 After this, his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread. And she called him Zerah.