Genesis 38

Judah's Sons and Their Fates Genesis 38:6–11

⁶Verse 6. Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. ⁷Verse 7. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight. Yahweh killed him. ⁸Verse 8. 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 offspring for your brother.” ⁹Verse 9. Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother. ¹⁰Verse 10. The thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed him also. ¹¹Verse 11. Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up”; for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

Tamar's Disguise and Deception Genesis 38:12–20

¹²Verse 12. After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite. ¹³Verse 13. Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” ¹⁴Verse 14. She took off her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife. ¹⁵Verse 15. When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.

¹⁶Verse 16. He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” ¹⁷Verse 17. He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?” ¹⁸Verse 18. He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.

¹⁹Verse 19. She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. ²⁰Verse 20. Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her.

Judah's Search and Response Genesis 38:21–24

²¹Verse 21. Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.” ²²Verse 22. He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’” ²³Verse 23. Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.” ²⁴Verse 24. About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

Tamar's Revelation and Birth Genesis 38:25–30

²⁵Verse 25. When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man, whose these are, I am with child.” She also said, “Please discern whose are these—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.” ²⁶Verse 26. Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more. ²⁷Verse 27. In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb. ²⁸Verse 28. When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.” ²⁹Verse 29. As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.

³⁰Verse 30. Afterward his brother came out, that had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.