Now it happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain ^aAdullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was ^aShua; and he took her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he named him ^aEr. 4 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and she named him ^aOnan. 5 And she bore still another son, and she named him ^aShelah; and it was at Chezib ¹that she bore him.

6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But ^aEr, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so Yahweh put him to death. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “^aGo in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a seed for your brother.” 9 And Onan knew that the ^aseed would not be his; and it happened that when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted it on the ground in order not to give seed to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of Yahweh; so He ^aput him to death also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “^aLive as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he ¹thought, “I am afraid lest he also die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

12 And ¹after a considerable time, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Then Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheepshearers at ^aTimnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 Then it was told to Tamar, “¹Behold, your father-in-law is going up to ^aTimnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she removed her widow’s garments from herself and ^acovered herself with a ¹veil and wrapped herself. And she sat at the entrance of ²Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and ^bshe had not been given to him as a wife. 15 Then Judah saw her, and he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16 So 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 He said, therefore, “I will send you a ¹young goat from the flock.” She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “^aYour signet 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. 19 Then she arose and went. And she removed her ¹veil from herself and put on her widow’s garments.

20 Then Judah sent the ¹young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 So he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the cult prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her ¹keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

24 Now it happened about three months later that it was told to Judah saying, “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 ^alet her be burned!” 25 It 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, “^aPlease recognize this and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 And Judah recognized them and said, “^aShe is more righteous than I, inasmuch as ^bI did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not ¹know her again.

27 Now it happened at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were ^atwins in her womb. 28 And it happened, 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.” 29 And then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. So she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named ^1aPerez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named ^1aZerah.

And it came about at that time, that Judah ¹departed from his brothers and ²visited a certain ^aAdullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was ^aShua; and he took her as a wife and had relations with her. 3 And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him ^aEr. 4 Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him ^aOnan. 5 She gave birth to yet another son and named him ^aShelah; and it was at Chezib ¹that she gave birth to him.

6 Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But ^aEr, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life. 8 Then Judah said to Onan, “^aHave relations with your brother’s wife and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a ¹child for your brother.” 9 Now Onan knew that the ^1achild would not be his; so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he ²wasted his seed on the ground so that he would not give ³a child to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He ^atook his life also. 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “^aRemain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he ¹thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

12 Now ¹after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when ²the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at ^aTimnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to ^aTimnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she ¹removed her widow’s garments and ^acovered herself with a ²veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of ³Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and ^bshe had not been given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he assumed she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “¹Here 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, that you may have relations with me?” 17 He said, therefore, “I will send you a ¹young goat from the flock.” She then said, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “^aYour seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had relations with her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she got up and departed, and ¹removed her ²veil and put on her widow’s garments.

20 When Judah sent the ¹young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 He asked the people 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.” 22 So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the people of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’” 23 Then Judah said, “Let her ¹keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. ²After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

24 Now it was about three months later that Judah was ¹informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and behold, she is also pregnant by prostitution.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and ^ahave her burned!” 25 It was while she was being brought out that she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong.” She also said, “^aPlease examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” 26 And Judah recognized them, and said, “^aShe is more righteous than I, since ^bI did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not ¹have relations with her again.

27 It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were ^atwins in her womb. 28 Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, that one baby put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 But 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 ^1aPerez. 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named ^1aZerah.