Tamar Has a Child |
Genesis 38:1-30 The First Book of Moses Called Genesis |
It came to pass at that time that [Jacob’s son,] Judah, went down from his [family] & went in to [visit] with a certain Adullamite named Hirah. [While] there, Judah saw a daughter of Shuah, a Canaanite & [Judah] took her [as his wife] & was [intimate] with her & she conceived & [bore] a son named Er. |
She conceived again & [bore] a son named Onan. She conceived yet again & [bore] a son [named] Shelah & was at Chezib when she [bore] him. Judah took Tamar to be a wife for his firstborn [son,] Er. And Er, was wicked in the sight of the Lord & the Lord slew him. |
And Judah said to Onan, Go into your brother’s wife & marry her & raise up [a child to honor] your brother. Onan knew the [child] wouldn’t be his & when he [was intimate] with his brother’s wife, he spilled [his emission] on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. |
The thing he did displeased the Lord & He slew [Onan] also. Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, [is] grown, lest he die also, as his [brothers] did. Tamar went & dwelt in her father’s house. |
In time, Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shuah, died & Judah was comforted & he & his friend, Hirah, the Adullamite, went to his sheep shearers in Timnath. And it was told [to] Tamar, saying [Look,] your father-in-law, goes up to Timnath to shear his sheep. [Tamar took] her widow’s garments off of her & covered & wrapped herself with a veil. |
She sat in an open place by the [road] to Timnath, [since] she saw that Shelah, [Judah’s youngest son] was grown & she wasn’t given to him [to be his] wife. When Judah saw her, he thought [she was a] harlot, because she covered her face. |
He turned in to her by the [road] & said, I pray [that] you let me [be intimate with] you; (because he didn’t know it was his daughter-in-law.) She [asked,] What will you give me, [so] that I know that you may come in to me? [Judah] said, I will send you a kid [goat] from the flock. |
She said, [What] will you give me as a pledge [collateral, until] you send it? [Judah] said, What pledge shall I give you? She said, Thy signet [ring], your bracelets, & your staff that is in your hand & he gave it [to] her & [was intimate with] her & [although they didn't know it yet,] [Tamar] conceived by [Judah]. And [Tamar] arose & went away & [took] her veil [off] & put on the [clothing] of her widowhood. |
And Judah sent the kid [goat] by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive his pledge [back] from the woman’s hand, but he couldn’t [find] her. Then [the Adullamite] asked the men of that place, Where is the harlot that was openly by the [road] side? |
They said, There was no harlot in this place. He returned to Judah & said, I can’t find her & the men of the place said that there was no harlot in this place. And Judah said, Let her [keep the items I left for collateral,] lest we [are] shamed. I sent this kid [goat] & you haven't found her. |
It came to pass [in] about 3 months [afterward,] Judah was told, Tamar, your daughter-in-law, hath played the harlot & she is with child by whoredom. Judah said, Bring her forth & let her be burnt. When she was brought forth, she sent [for] her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man [who] these [things belong to]. I pray [that] you discern, whose these are: the signet, bracelet & staff. |
Judah acknowledged them & said, She has been more righteous than [me], because I didn’t [give] her to Shelah, my son. [Judah] didn’t know [Tamar] again [intimately.] [At the time she was in hard labor], behold, twins were in her womb. |
[During the hard labor], one [baby] put out his hand: & the midwife took & [put] a scarlet thread upon his hand, saying, This [baby] came out first. It came to pass, as he [the baby] drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. |
She said, How have you [come out first]? This breach is upon you: therefore his name was called Pharez. Afterward, his brother came out with the scarlet thread upon his hand & his name was called Zarah. |