Genesis 38
38
Judah and Tamar
1About that time Judah left his brothers and went to stay with a man named Hirah, who was from the town of Adullam. 2There Judah met a young Canaanite woman whose father was named Shua. He married her, 3and she bore him a son, whom he named Er. 4She became pregnant again and bore another son and named him Onan. 5Again she had a son and named him Shelah. Judah was at Achzib when the boy was born.
6For his first son Er, Judah got a wife whose name was Tamar. 7Er's conduct was evil, and it displeased the LORD, so the LORD killed him. 8Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, “Go and sleep with your brother's widow. Fulfil your obligation to her as her husband's brother, so that your brother may have descendants.” 9But Onan knew that the children would not belong to him, so whenever he had intercourse with his brother's widow, he let the semen spill on the ground, so that there would be no children for his brother. 10What he did displeased the LORD, and the LORD killed him also. 11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father's house and remain a widow until my son Shelah grows up.” He said this because he was afraid that Shelah would be killed, as his brothers had been. So Tamar went back home.
12After some time Judah's wife died. When he had finished the time of mourning, he and his friend Hirah of Adullam went to Timnah, where his sheep were being sheared. 13Someone told Tamar that her father-in-law was going to Timnah to shear his sheep. 14So she changed from the widow's clothes she had been wearing, covered her face with a veil, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, a town on the road to Timnah. As she well knew, Judah's youngest son Shelah had now grown up, and yet she had not been given to him in marriage.
15When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had her face covered. 16He went over to her at the side of the road and said, “All right, how much do you charge?” (He did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.)
She said, “What will you give me?”
17He answered, “I will send you a young goat from my flock.”
She said, “All right, if you will give me something to keep as a pledge until you send the goat.”
18“What shall I give you as a pledge?” he asked.
She answered, “Your seal with its cord and the stick you are carrying.” He gave them to her. Then they had intercourse, and she became pregnant. 19Tamar went home, took off her veil, and put her widow's clothes back on.
20Judah sent his friend Hirah to take the goat and get back from the woman the articles he had pledged, but Hirah could not find her. 21He asked some men at Enaim, “Where is the prostitute who was here by the road?”
“There has never been a prostitute here,” they answered.
22He returned to Judah and said, “I couldn't find her. The men of the place said that there had never been a prostitute there.”
23Judah said, “Let her keep the things. We don't want people to laugh at us. I did try to pay her, but you couldn't find her.”
24About three months later someone said to Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has been acting like a whore, and now she is pregnant.”
Judah ordered, “Take her out and burn her to death.”
25As she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man who owns these things. Look at them and see whose they are — this seal with its cord and this stick.”
26Judah recognized them and said, “She is in the right. I have failed in my obligation to her — I should have given her to my son Shelah in marriage.” And Judah never had intercourse with her again.
27When the time came for her to give birth, it was discovered that she was going to have twins. 28While she was in labour, one of them put out an arm; the midwife caught it, tied a red thread round it, and said, “This one was born first.” 29But he pulled his arm back, and his brother was born first. Then the midwife said, “So this is how you break your way out!” So he was named Perez.#38.29 Perez: This name in Hebrew means “breaking out”. 30Then his brother was born with the red thread on his arm, and he was named Zerah.#38.30 Zerah: This name sounds like a Hebrew word for the red brightness of dawn.
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Genesis 38: GNBDC
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Genesis 38
38
Judah and Tamar
1At that time Judah left his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, # Jos 15:35; 1Sa 22:1 whose name was Hirah. 2There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shua, # Ge 24:3; 1Ch 2:3 and he took her and had relations with her. 3She conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. # Ge 46:12; Nu 26:19 4She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5She again conceived and bore a son and called his name Shelah. # Nu 26:20 He was at Kezib when she bore him.
6Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord killed him.
8Then Judah said to Onan, “Go have relations with your brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up descendants for your brother.” # Dt 25:5–10 9But Onan knew that the descendant would not be his, so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he let his semen go on the ground, so that he would not give a descendant to his brother. # Dt 25:6 10What he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow at your father’s house until Shelah my son grows up.” # Lev 22:13 For he thought, “He may die also, just as his brothers did.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12As time went on, the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died. After Judah was consoled, # Ge 24:67 he went up to his sheepshearers in Timnah, # Jos 15:10 he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13It was told to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14She took off her widow’s clothing, covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat in an open place, which is by the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as his wife. # Ge 38:26
15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. 16He turned to her by the road and said, “Come now, let me have relations with you” (for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law).
And she said, “What will you give me, so that you may have relations with me?”
17And he said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” # Eze 16:33
And she said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?”
18And he said, “What pledge should I give you?”
And she said, “Your signet, your bracelets, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had relations with her, and she conceived by him. # Ge 38:25–26 19She arose and went away, and taking off her veil, she put on her widow’s clothing. # Ge 38:14
20Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he could not find her. 21Then he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?”
And they said, “There was no prostitute in this place.”
22So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no cult prostitute in this place.”
23Judah replied, “Let her keep them for herself, or we shall be laughed at. I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”
24After about three months, it was told Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has turned to prostitution, and what is more, as a result of prostitution she is pregnant.”
Then Judah said, “Bring her forth, and let her be burned!” # Lev 21:9
25When she was brought forth, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong am I with child.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are—the signet and bracelet and staff.” # Ge 37:32; 38:18
26Judah recognized them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, # 1Sa 24:17 because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” He did not have relations with her again.
27When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 28While she was giving birth, one put out his hand, and the midwife took and tied on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This one came out first.” 29But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “How have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez. # Ge 46:12; Nu 26:20 30Afterward his brother came out, the one who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
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