New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

1About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah.

1And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her. When he slept with her,

2Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her.

3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er.

3So she conceived and bore a son and he named him Er.

4Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan.

4Then she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan.

5And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah’s birth, they were living at Kezib.

5She bore still another son and named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him.

6In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar.

6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7But Er was a wicked man in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD took his life.

7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.

8Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”

8Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

9But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother.

9Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother.

10But the LORD considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the LORD took Onan’s life, too.

10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.

11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Go back to your parents’ home and remain a widow until my son Shelah is old enough to marry you.” (But Judah didn’t really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went back to live in her father’s home.

11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"; for he thought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12Some years later Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep.

12Now after a considerable time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13Someone told Tamar, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

13It was told to Tamar, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.

14So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

15Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.

16So he stopped and propositioned her. “Let me have sex with you,” he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law. “How much will you pay to have sex with me?” Tamar asked.

16So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, "Here now, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"

17“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah promised. “But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?” she asked.

17He said, therefore, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until you send it?"

18“What kind of guarantee do you want?” he replied. She answered, “Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying.” So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.

18He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" And she said, "Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

19Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing as usual.

19Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow's garments.

20Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn’t find her.

20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her.

21So he asked the men who lived there, “Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?” “We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,” they replied.

21He asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?" But they said, "There has been no temple prostitute here."

22So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, “I couldn’t find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they’ve never had a shrine prostitute there.”

22So he returned to Judah, and said, "I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, 'There has been no temple prostitute here.'"

23“Then let her keep the things I gave her,” Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her.”

23Then Judah said, "Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her."

24About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.” “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.

24Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!"

25But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?”

25It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whom these things belong." And she said, "Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?"

26Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Tamar again.

26Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not have relations with her again.

27When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins.

27It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.

28While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child’s wrist, announcing, “This one came out first.”

28Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first."

29But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! “What!” the midwife exclaimed. “How did you break out first?” So he was named Perez.

29But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez.

30Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah.

30Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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