The Genesis
Chapter
38
1 After that, Judah left his brothers and traveled on for some distance. Then he [ran into] a man from OdolLam named Iras, [who went to work for him]. 2 And while he was there, Judah found the daughter of a CanaAnite man named Sava. He took her [as his woman] and [slept] with her, 3 and she got pregnant. Then she gave birth to a son whom she named Er. 4 And after that, she got pregnant again and gave birth to a son whom she named AuNan. 5 Then she gave birth to a [third] son whom she named SeLom (she was living in Chasbi when she gave birth to them).
6 [Well, years later], Judah took a woman named Tamar to be the woman of his first-born, Er. 7 But Er was wicked before Jehovah, so God killed him. 8 Then Judah told Aunan: 'You must go and [have sex] with your brother's woman… since you're her brother-in-law, you must take her so [she can] raise a seed for your brother.'
9 However, Aunan knew that the seed wouldn't be [counted as] his. So when he [had sex with] his brother's woman, he spilled [his semen] on the ground, so his brother's woman wouldn't [get pregnant]. 10 And his doing this appeared evil to God, so He killed him also.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar: 'Live as a widow in your father's house until my son SeLom grows up… for I don't want him to die like his brothers.' So Tamar left and went to stay in her father's home.
12 Well after several years, Judah's woman Sava died. So while Judah was looking for comfort, he went to see his sheep shearers at ThamNa, along with his Shepherd, Iras the OdolLamite. 13 And when his daughter-in-law Tamar was told, '{Look!} Your father-in-law is going up to ThamNa to shear his sheep,' 14 she took off her widow's clothes, put on a veil and made up her face, and she went to sit by the gate of [the town of] AiNan, along the road that leads to ThamNa. She did this because [Judah's son] Selom had already grown up and [Judah] hadn't given [Tamar] to be his son's woman.
15 Well, when Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had her face covered and he didn't recognize her. 16 So he stopped and said to her (not knowing that she was his daughter-in-law), 'Let me [have sex with] you.' And she asked, 'What will you give me to [have sex] with me?'
17 And he said, 'I'll send you a young goat from my flock.' And she told him: 'You must provide me some assurance that you'll send it.'
18 So he asked, 'What kind of assurance can I give you?' And she said: 'Give me your ring, your bracelet, and the walking stick you're holding.' So he gave them to her, [had sex with] her, and she got pregnant by him. 19 Then she got up and took off her veil, put her widow's clothes back on, and left that place.
20 Well later, Judah sent the young goat with his shepherd (the OdolLamite), to get back the things that he had left with the woman… but he couldn't find her. 21 So he asked the local men: 'Where's that prostitute who used to sit by the road [here at] AiNan?' And they replied: 'There was no prostitute here.'
22 So he returned to Judah and said: 'I couldn't find her, and the local men say there wasn't any prostitute there.'
23 Then Judah told him: 'Let her have [those things]. Although I sent the young goat, you couldn't find her; so let's not leave ourselves open to ridicule.'
24 Well after three months, Judah was told: 'Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore… and now look; she's pregnant by her whoring!' So Judah said: 'Then drag her out and have her burned!'
25 But as they were dragging her out, she called out to her father-in-law, and said: 'I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things… just whose ring, bracelet, and walking stick are these?'
26 Well, Judah recognized them and said: 'Tamar is innocent… but not me, because I didn't give her to my son Selom.' And that was the last time [Judah had sex] with her.
27 Then when she went into labor, it was found that she had twins in her womb. 28 And as they were being born, one pushed his hand out. So the midwife took hold of the hand and tied some scarlet [thread around it], and said, 'This is the firstborn.'
29 But then he drew his hand back and his brother came out immediately thereafter. And she asked, 'Why have you broken the barrier between you?' So she named him Phares (Breach).
30 It was then that his brother (around whose hand the scarlet thread was tied) was born. And she named him Zara (Scarlet).
6 [Well, years later], Judah took a woman named Tamar to be the woman of his first-born, Er. 7 But Er was wicked before Jehovah, so God killed him. 8 Then Judah told Aunan: 'You must go and [have sex] with your brother's woman… since you're her brother-in-law, you must take her so [she can] raise a seed for your brother.'
9 However, Aunan knew that the seed wouldn't be [counted as] his. So when he [had sex with] his brother's woman, he spilled [his semen] on the ground, so his brother's woman wouldn't [get pregnant]. 10 And his doing this appeared evil to God, so He killed him also.
11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar: 'Live as a widow in your father's house until my son SeLom grows up… for I don't want him to die like his brothers.' So Tamar left and went to stay in her father's home.
12 Well after several years, Judah's woman Sava died. So while Judah was looking for comfort, he went to see his sheep shearers at ThamNa, along with his Shepherd, Iras the OdolLamite. 13 And when his daughter-in-law Tamar was told, '{Look!} Your father-in-law is going up to ThamNa to shear his sheep,' 14 she took off her widow's clothes, put on a veil and made up her face, and she went to sit by the gate of [the town of] AiNan, along the road that leads to ThamNa. She did this because [Judah's son] Selom had already grown up and [Judah] hadn't given [Tamar] to be his son's woman.
15 Well, when Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had her face covered and he didn't recognize her. 16 So he stopped and said to her (not knowing that she was his daughter-in-law), 'Let me [have sex with] you.' And she asked, 'What will you give me to [have sex] with me?'
17 And he said, 'I'll send you a young goat from my flock.' And she told him: 'You must provide me some assurance that you'll send it.'
18 So he asked, 'What kind of assurance can I give you?' And she said: 'Give me your ring, your bracelet, and the walking stick you're holding.' So he gave them to her, [had sex with] her, and she got pregnant by him. 19 Then she got up and took off her veil, put her widow's clothes back on, and left that place.
20 Well later, Judah sent the young goat with his shepherd (the OdolLamite), to get back the things that he had left with the woman… but he couldn't find her. 21 So he asked the local men: 'Where's that prostitute who used to sit by the road [here at] AiNan?' And they replied: 'There was no prostitute here.'
22 So he returned to Judah and said: 'I couldn't find her, and the local men say there wasn't any prostitute there.'
23 Then Judah told him: 'Let her have [those things]. Although I sent the young goat, you couldn't find her; so let's not leave ourselves open to ridicule.'
24 Well after three months, Judah was told: 'Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the whore… and now look; she's pregnant by her whoring!' So Judah said: 'Then drag her out and have her burned!'
25 But as they were dragging her out, she called out to her father-in-law, and said: 'I'm pregnant by the man who owns these things… just whose ring, bracelet, and walking stick are these?'
26 Well, Judah recognized them and said: 'Tamar is innocent… but not me, because I didn't give her to my son Selom.' And that was the last time [Judah had sex] with her.
27 Then when she went into labor, it was found that she had twins in her womb. 28 And as they were being born, one pushed his hand out. So the midwife took hold of the hand and tied some scarlet [thread around it], and said, 'This is the firstborn.'
29 But then he drew his hand back and his brother came out immediately thereafter. And she asked, 'Why have you broken the barrier between you?' So she named him Phares (Breach).
30 It was then that his brother (around whose hand the scarlet thread was tied) was born. And she named him Zara (Scarlet).
2001translation.com
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