Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.” New Living Translation “Then let her keep the things I gave her,” Judah said. “I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn’t find her. We’d be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her.” English Standard Version And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.” Berean Standard Bible “Let her keep the items,” Judah replied. “Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her.” King James Bible And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. New King James Version Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.” New American Standard Bible Then Judah said, “Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.” NASB 1995 Then Judah said, “Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.” NASB 1977 Then Judah said, “Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this kid, but you did not find her.” Legacy Standard Bible Then Judah said, “Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.” Amplified Bible Then Judah said, “Let her keep the things (pledge articles) for herself, otherwise we will be a laughingstock [searching everywhere for her]. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.” Christian Standard Bible Judah replied, “Let her keep the items for herself; otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.” Holman Christian Standard Bible Judah replied, “Let her keep the items for herself; otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.” American Standard Version And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. Contemporary English Version "If you couldn't find her, we'll just let her keep the things I gave her," Judah answered. "And we'd better forget about the goat, or else we'll look like fools." English Revised Version And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. GOD'S WORD® Translation Then Judah said, "Let her keep what I gave her, or we'll become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you couldn't find her." Good News Translation Judah said, "Let her keep the things. We don't want people to laugh at us. I did try to pay her, but you couldn't find her." International Standard Version Then Judah said, "Let her have those things. Otherwise, we'll become contemptible. I sent this young goat, but you didn't find her." Majority Standard Bible ?Let her keep the items,? Judah replied. ?Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her.? NET Bible Judah said, "Let her keep the things for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn't find her." New Heart English Bible Judah said, "Let her keep the things, lest we be publicly shamed. Look, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her." Webster's Bible Translation And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. World English Bible Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.” Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand Judah says, “Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.” Young's Literal Translation and Judah saith, 'Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.' Smith's Literal Translation And Judah will say, She shall take to her, lest we shall be for a contempt: Behold, I sent this kid, and thou didst not find her. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleJuda said : Let her take it to herself ; surely she cannot charge us with a,lie: I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her. Catholic Public Domain Version Judah said: “Let her hold herself to blame. Certainly, she is not able to accuse us of a lie. I sent the young goat that I had promised, and you did not find her.” New American Bible “Let her keep the things,” Judah replied; “otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you did not find her.” New Revised Standard Version Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, otherwise we will be laughed at; you see, I sent this kid, and you could not find her.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd Judah said, Let her keep the pledge, lest I be laughed at; behold, I sent this kid, but you could not find her. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And Yehuda said, “She may take it, lest I be a laughing stock; behold, I have sent this kid and you have not found her.” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And Judah said: 'Let her take it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.' Brenton Septuagint Translation And Judas said, Let her have them, but let us not be ridiculed; I sent this kid, but thou hast not found her. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Judah and Tamar…22So Hirah returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and furthermore, the men of that place said, ‘No shrine prostitute has been here.’ ” 23“Let her keep the items,” Judah replied. “Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her.” 24About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”… Cross References Deuteronomy 22:21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house, and there the men of her city will stone her to death. For she has committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father’s house. So you must purge the evil from among you. Leviticus 19:29 You must not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity. Proverbs 6:26 For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. Proverbs 7:10 Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart. Hosea 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin. Ezekiel 16:32 You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband! Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed. Isaiah 57:3 “But come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! 1 Samuel 2:24 No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people. 2 Samuel 13:12-13 “No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not violate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! / Where could I ever take my shame? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel! Please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” Matthew 1:3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. Matthew 21:31-32 Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. / For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Luke 15:30 But when this son of yours returns from squandering your wealth with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ John 8:3-11 The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them / and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. / In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?” ... Romans 1:24-27 Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. / For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ... Treasury of Scripture And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her. lest we. 2 Samuel 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Proverbs 6:33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. Romans 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. be shamed. Jump to Previous Find Found Goat Herself Judah Kid Otherwise Shame Shamed YoungJump to Next Find Found Goat Herself Judah Kid Otherwise Shame Shamed YoungGenesis 38 1. Judah begets Er, Onan, and Shelah.6. Er's marriage with Tamar, and death. 8. The trespass of Onan. 11. Tamar is reserved for Shelah. 12. Judah's wife dies. 13. Tamar deceives Judah. 27. She bears twins, Pharez and Zarah. Let her keep the items, Judah's decision to let Tamar keep the items—his seal, cord, and staff—reflects a significant moment of concession. These items were personal identifiers, akin to a modern-day signature or ID, symbolizing authority and identity. In the cultural context, these items were valuable and personal, indicating Judah's initial desperation to retrieve them. This phrase highlights the importance of personal integrity and the consequences of one's actions, as Judah's decision to leave the items with Tamar ultimately leads to his public acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Judah replied. Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her. Persons / Places / Events 1. JudahOne of the twelve sons of Jacob, Judah is a central figure in this account. He is the one who decides to send a young goat as payment for services rendered, highlighting his role in the unfolding events. 2. Tamar Although not directly mentioned in this verse, Tamar is the woman involved in the transaction with Judah. She disguises herself to secure her rights and future, playing a pivotal role in the account. 3. The Young Goat This is the promised payment from Judah to Tamar, symbolizing a transaction and a broken promise when it is not delivered. 4. The Items These refer to Judah's seal, cord, and staff, which Tamar keeps as a pledge. They are significant as they later serve as proof of Judah's involvement with her. 5. The Laughingstock This term reflects Judah's concern about public perception and reputation, indicating the social dynamics and potential shame involved in the situation. Teaching Points The Consequences of SinJudah's actions remind us that sin often leads to unintended consequences and public shame. We must be mindful of our actions and their potential impact on our reputation and relationships. God's Sovereignty in Human Affairs Despite human failings, God's purposes prevail. The lineage of Judah and Tamar becomes part of the genealogy of Christ, demonstrating God's ability to work through imperfect situations. The Importance of Integrity Judah's concern about becoming a "laughingstock" highlights the importance of maintaining integrity and fulfilling promises. As Christians, we are called to be people of our word. Repentance and Redemption Judah's later acknowledgment of his wrongdoing (in subsequent verses) shows the power of repentance and the possibility of redemption, a theme central to the Christian faith.(23) Lest we be shamed.--Maimonides asserts that Judah had committed no breach of the Law, the utmost therein commanded being that no Jewish woman should become a kedeshah (Deuteronomy 23:17). But Judah evidently regards what he had done as shameful, and having big friend's testimony, if needed, to prove that he had performed what he promised, he bears with the loss of his signet and staff, rather than let the people know that he had been guilty of an act which they too would condemn.Verse 23. - And Judah said, Let her take it to her, - literally, let her take to herself (sc. the pledge) - lest we be shamed (literally, become a contempt, i.e. by inquiring after her. Though not afraid to sin against God, Judah was pained at the idea of losing his reputation before men): behold, I sent this kid (i.e. I take you to witness that I have fulfilled my premise), and thou hast not found her. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “Let herלָ֔הּ (lāh) Preposition | third person feminine singular Strong's Hebrew keep the items,” תִּֽקַּֽח־ (tiq·qaḥ-) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 3947: To take Judah יְהוּדָה֙ (yə·hū·ḏāh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites replied. וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say “Otherwise פֶּ֖ן (pen) Conjunction Strong's 6435: Removal, lest we will become נִהְיֶ֣ה (nih·yeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be a laughingstock. לָב֑וּז (lā·ḇūz) Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 937: Disrespect After all, הִנֵּ֤ה (hin·nêh) Interjection Strong's 2009: Lo! behold! I did send her שָׁלַ֙חְתִּי֙ (šā·laḥ·tî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out this הַזֶּ֔ה (haz·zeh) Article | Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that young goat, הַגְּדִ֣י (hag·gə·ḏî) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1423: A kid (a young goat) but you וְאַתָּ֖ה (wə·’at·tāh) Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singular Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you could not לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no find her.” מְצָאתָֽהּ׃ (mə·ṣā·ṯāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present Links Genesis 38:23 NIVGenesis 38:23 NLT Genesis 38:23 ESV Genesis 38:23 NASB Genesis 38:23 KJV Genesis 38:23 BibleApps.com Genesis 38:23 Biblia Paralela Genesis 38:23 Chinese Bible Genesis 38:23 French Bible Genesis 38:23 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 38:23 Judah said Let her keep it lest (Gen. 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