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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Genesis 38: MEV
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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