1AND it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain Arlemite, whose name was Hirah. 2And Judah saw there the daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er. 4And she conceived again, and bore a son; and he called his name Onan. 5And she conceived again, and bore a son; and he called his name Shelah; and after she bore him she stopped bearing.

6And Judah took a wife for Er, his first-born, whose name was Tamar. 7And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. 8And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up an offspring to your brother. 9And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife that he spilled the semen on the ground, lest that he should raise an offspring to his brother. 10And the thing which he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; wherefore he slew him also. 11Then said Judah to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father's house, until my son Shelah grows up; for he said. Lest he die also, as his brothers did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

12And in the course of time Shuah's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Arlemite. 13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold your father-in-law is going up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14And she put off her widow's dress, and adorned herself, and covered her face with a veil, and sat down at the parting of the road to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given to him to wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; because she had covered her face. 16And he turned to her by the way and said to her, Come, let me come in unto 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 unto me? 17And he said, I will send you a kid from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge until you send it? 18And he said, What kind of a pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your ring and your robe and the staff that is in your hand. So he gave them to her, and then went in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19And she arose and went away and took off her veil from her and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Arlemite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; but he could not find her. 21Then he asked the men of the place, saying, Where is the harlot who sat at the parting of the road? And they said, There is no harlot here. 22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, No harlot has been here. 23And Judah said, Let her keep the pledge, lest I be laughed at; behold, I sent this kid, but you could not find her.

24And it came to pass, about three months later, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the harlot; and moreover, she is with child because of her harlotry. And Judah said, Bring her out, and let her be burned. 25When they brought her out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these articles belong, I am with child; and she said, Determine whose they are, the ring, the robe, and the staff. 26And Judah recognized them, and said, She is more righteous than I; because I did not give her in marriage to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

27And it came to pass in the time of her travail that, behold, there were twins in her womb. 28And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one of the babes put out his hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. 29And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out; and she said, What a breach has been made for you! Therefore his name was called Pharez. 30And afterward came out his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and she called his name Zarah.