Berean Study Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.

1And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her.

2Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her.

3So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er.

3So she conceived and bore a son and he named him Er.

4Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.

4Then she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan.

5Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

5She bore still another son and named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him.

6Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.

7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.

8Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”

8Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

9But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.

9Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother.

10What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.

10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.

11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.

11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"; for he thought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah.

12Now after a considerable time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”

13It was told to Tamar, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

14So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.

16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.

16So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, "Here 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“I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered. But she replied, “Only if you leave me something as a pledge until you send it.”

17He said, therefore, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until you send it?"

18“What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

18He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" And she said, "Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

19Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.

19Then she arose and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow's garments.

20Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.

20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, he did not find her.

21He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered.

21He asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?" But they said, "There has been no temple prostitute here."

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.’ ”

22So he returned to Judah, and said, "I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, 'There has been no temple prostitute 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.”

23Then 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."

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!”

24Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry." Then Judah said, "Bring her out and let her be burned!"

25As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?”

25It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "I am with child by the man to whom these things belong." And she said, "Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?"

26Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.

26Judah recognized them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not have relations with her again.

27When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

27It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.

28And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced.

28Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first."

29But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.

29But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez.

30Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah.

30Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah.

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