Genesis 38:1-30

Around that time, Judah left his brothers at Hebron and went to Adullam to stay with a man named Hirah. There he met and married a Canaanite girl, the daughter of Shua. He slept with her and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er. She conceived again and gave birth to another son and named him Onan. While they were staying in Chezib, she gave birth to a third son and named him Shelah. When their sons were grown, Judah arranged for Er, his oldest son, to marry a girl named Tamar. But Er had become so wicked in the sight of YAHWEH that YAHWEH ended his life. Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Your duty is to join yourself to her. Go perform your duty as a brother-in-law and provide an heir for your brother.” Onan, however, did not want to produce a child that would not be his own rightful heir, so whenever he and Tamar had intercourse, he purposely spilled his semen onto the ground to keep her from getting pregnant and having a child that would belong to his dead brother. But what he did was wicked in YAHWEH’s sight, so he took Onan’s life also. Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my youngest son Shelah grows up.” So Tamar went home to her parents, but Judah worried that Shelah would end up dead like his brothers. After some time passed, Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When his time of mourning was over, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went to Timnah to enjoy the festivities at the sheep-shearing. Meanwhile, Tamar had learned that Shelah had grown up, but Judah had still not given him to her to father a child for her deceased husband. So, when Tamar found out her father-in-law was coming to Timnah for the sheep-shearing, she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. And she sat waiting at the crossroads where Judah would have to pass by. When Judah saw her, she was wearing a veil over her face, so he thought she was a prostitute. He had no clue that she was his own daughter-in-law. So he approached her and said, “Come sleep with me.” “What will you give me if I do?” she answered. He responded, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” “What guarantee can you give me that you will really send it?” she asked. “Well, what pledge do you want?” Judah asked. Tamar answered, “Give me your necklace with your personal signet and the staff you’re holding.” So, he gave them to her, and he went and slept with her. When she got up and went home, she removed her veil and put her widow’s garment back on. Later, she discovered she was pregnant. Soon afterward, Judah sent the young goat by his friend Hirah the Adullamite to recover his items from the prostitute, but she was nowhere to be found. So he asked the townspeople, “Where is the temple prostitute that sits by the crossroads?” They answered, “No prostitute has been there.” So he returned to Judah and informed him, “I couldn’t find her, and besides that, the townspeople said that no prostitute has been there.” Judah replied, “Let her keep my pledge. If we try to go get it now, we’ll become a laughingstock. After all, I did send you with the payment I promised her, and you couldn’t find her.” About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has been promiscuous, and now she is pregnant!” Indignant, Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “Look, the one who owns these things got me pregnant! See, whose signet and staff are these?” Judah recognized them as his and said, “She is more righteous than I, for I never gave my son Shelah to marry her.” And he let her go free and never slept with her again. When it was time for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb! While she was in labor, one hand popped out, so the midwife wrapped a crimson thread around its wrist, saying, “This one came out first.” But immediately, he drew his hand back, and out came his brother; and she said, “Look how you have broken out of the womb!” So, he was named Perez, the one who breaks through. Afterward, his brother came out, the one with the crimson thread on his wrist. That’s why they named him Zerah (“the crimson one”).