Genesis 38

1 At that time Judah went down from his brothers and came to stay near a certain man of Adullam, whose name was Hirah. [a] 2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man; her name was Shua. And he took her as a wife and went in to her. [f] 3 And she conceived and bore a son, and named him Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and named him Onan. 5 And she bore yet another son, and named him Shelah. She was at Chezib when she bore them. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked before the Lord, and God killed him. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife. Do a brother-in-law’s duty by her, and raise up seed for your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the seed would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, so as not to give seed to his brother. 10 What he did was evil before God, and he killed him also. 11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up” — for he said to himself that he too might die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

12 A long time passed, and Shua, Judah’s wife, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his shepherd Hirah the Adullamite. [b] 13 And Tamar his daughter-in-law was told, “Look — your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s clothes, put on a veil and adorned her face, and sat down by the gates of Enaim, on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up — and he had not given her to him as a wife. [c] 15 When Judah saw her, he took her for a harlot, for she had covered her face, and he did not recognize her. 16 And he turned aside to her on the road and said, “Let me come in to you” — for he did not know she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, to come in to me?” 17 And he said, “I will send you a young goat from my flock.” And she said, “Very well — if you give me a pledge until you send it.” 18 And he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your ring, and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her — and she conceived by him. 19 Then she rose and went away, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes again. 20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his shepherd the Adullamite, to recover the pledge from the woman — but he did not find her. 21 He asked the men of the place, “Where is the harlot who was at Enaim, by the roadside?” And they said, “There has been no harlot here.” [e] 22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I could not find her — and the men of the place say there has been no harlot there.” 23 And Judah said, “Let her keep them — only let us not become a laughingstock. I did send this goat, and you could not find her.”

24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot grievously — and look, she is with child by her harlotry.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25 But as they were bringing her out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am with child by the man these things belong to. Look — whose are this ring, and cord, and staff?” 26 And Judah recognized them, and said, “Tamar is more in the right than I am — because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again. 27 And when the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 28 As she was giving birth, one put out his hand, and the midwife took hold of it and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one will come out first.” 29 But when he drew back his hand, at once his brother came out. And she said, “Why was the barrier broken through because of you?” And she named him Perez. [d] 30 And after him came out his brother, with the scarlet thread on his hand — and she named him Zerah.