Judah and Tamar
1 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, andvisited a certain Adullamite whose namewasHirah.
2 And Judahsaw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose namewasShua, and he married her and went in to her.
3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his nameEr.
4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his nameOnan.
5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his nameShelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
6 Then Judahtook a wife for Er his firstborn, and her namewasTamar.
7 ButEr, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of theLord,and theLordkilled him.
8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in toyour brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.”
9 But Onan knew that the heir would not behis; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.
10 And the thing which he did displeased theLord; therefore He killedhim also.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law,“Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dweltin her father’s house.
12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judahwas comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going upto Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 So she took off her widow’s garments, coveredherselfwith a veil and wrapped herself, andsat in an open place whichwason the way to Timnah; for she sawthat Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought shewasa harlot, because she had covered her face.
16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that shewashis daughter-in-law.
So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 And he said,“I will send a young goat from the flock.”
# So she said,“Will you givemea pledge till you sendit?”
18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”
# So she said,“Your signet and cord, and your staff thatisin your hand.” Then he gavethemto her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
19 So she arose and went away, andlaid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receivehispledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her.
21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot whowasopenly by the roadside?”
And they said, “There was no harlot in thisplace.”
22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in thisplace.”
23 Then Judah said, “Let her takethemfor herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”
24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law hasplayed the harlot; furthermore sheiswith child by harlotry.”
# So Judah said, “Bring her outand let her be burned!”
25 When shewasbrought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, Iamwith child.” And she said,“Please determine whose theseare—the signet and cord, and staff.”
26 So Judahacknowledgedthemand said,“She has been more righteous than I, becauseI did not give her to Shelah my son.” And henever knew her again.
27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twinswerein her womb.
28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, thattheoneput outhishand; and the midwife took a scarletthreadand bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through?Thisbreachbeupon you!” Therefore his name was calledPerez.
30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarletthreadon his hand. And his name was calledZerah.