18 September 2022 draft-bible
1 Now at that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and stayed with a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And there Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite man whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to her. 3 And she conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again bore a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she bore him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight; and Yahweh killed him.
8 And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up seed for your brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his, and so, when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted [it] on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed him also.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father’s house, till my son Shelah is grown up; for he said, Lest he also die like his brothers. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
12 After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And Tamar was told, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.
14 And she took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given to him as wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 And he turned to her by the way, and said, Please 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 And he said, I will send you a young goat from the flock.
And she said, Will you give me a pledge until you send it?
18 And he said, What pledge am I to give you?
And she said, Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.
And he gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the gardments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim by the wayside?
And they said, There has been no prostitute here.
22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I did not find her, and also the men of the place said, There has been no prostitute here. 23 And Judah said, Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you have not found her.
24 About three months later, Judah was told, Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has prostituted herself, and also she is with child by prostitution.
And Judah said, bring her out, and let her be burned. 25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man who owns these I am with child.
And she said, Look and see whose these are: the signet, and the cords, and the staff.
26 And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah, my son.
And he did not know her again. 27 And when the time came for her to give birth, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And as she was in labor, 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 when he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, How have you broken yourself out? Therefore his name was called Perez. 30 And afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
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