Genesis 38

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1. 1Around that time, Judah left his brothers and went to stay with a man from Adullam named Hirah.
2. 2While there, Judah noticed the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shuah. He married her and slept with her.
3. 3She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er.
4. 4She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan.
5. 5She conceived once more and gave birth to yet another son, and she named him Shelah. Judah was at Chezib when this child was born.
6. 6Judah chose a wife for his firstborn Er, and her name was Tamar.
7. 7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD put him to death.
8. 8Judah told Onan, 'Go to your brother's wife, marry her, and have children for your brother.'
9. 9Onan knew that the seed would not be his. When he slept with his brother's wife, he spilled it on the ground so that he would not give seed to his brother.
10. 10What Onan did was evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD put him to death as well.
11. 11Judah then told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Go back to your father's home and live there as a widow until my son Shelah is old enough." He said this because he was afraid Shelah might also die like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father's household.
12. 12After a long time had passed, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shuah, died. Judah was comforted and went up to Timnath with his friend Hirah the Adullamite to be with his sheepshearers.
13. 13Someone informed Tamar, "Your father-in-law is heading to Timnath to shear his sheep."
14. 14She removed her widow's clothing, covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself, and sat in an open place by the road to Timnath. She saw that Shelah had grown up, but she had not been given to him as a wife.
15. 15Judah spotted her and assumed she was a prostitute, since her face was hidden.
16. 16He approached her beside the road and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you." He had no idea she was his daughter-in-law. She replied, "What will you pay me to sleep with me?"
17. 17He answered, "I'll send you a young goat from my flock." She asked, "Will you give me something as a guarantee until you send it?"
18. 18He asked, "What kind of guarantee do you want?" She replied, "Your seal, your cord, and the staff you're carrying." So he handed them over, slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19. 19She got up and left, then took off her veil and dressed again in her widow's clothing.
20. 20Judah sent his friend the Adullamite to deliver the young goat and retrieve the items he had left as a guarantee, but Hirah could not locate the woman.
21. 21He asked the local men, "Where is the prostitute who was sitting out in the open along the road?" They answered, "No prostitute has been here."
22. 22So he went back to Judah and reported, "I wasn't able to find her. The local men even said that no prostitute had been in that area."
23. 23Judah said, "Let her keep it, so that we are not shamed. Look, I sent this kid, and you have not found her."
24. 24About three months later, Judah received word: "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has acted like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant because of it." Judah demanded, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!"
25. 25As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law: "The man who owns these things is the one who made me pregnant." She added, "Please examine these and identify whose seal, cord, and staff these are."
26. 26Judah recognized them and declared, "She is more righteous than I am, because I refused to give her to my son Shelah." He never slept with her again after that.
27. 27When the time came for her to deliver, it turned out there were twins in her womb.
28. 28While she was in labor, one put out his hand. The midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, "This came out first."
29. 29As he drew back his hand, his brother came out. She said, "How have you broken forth? This breach is upon you." Therefore his name was called Pharez.
30. 30After that, his brother with the scarlet thread on his wrist was born, and he was named Zarah.