English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

1At that time Judah left his brothers and settled near an Adullamite named Hirah.

2There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her,

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

3and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

3She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er.

4She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

4She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and named him Onan.

5Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

5She gave birth to another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

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

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

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

7Now Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the LORD's sight, and the LORD put him to death.

8Then 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 offspring for your brother.”

8Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother's wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and produce offspring for your brother."

9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.

9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.

10And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also.

10What he did was evil in the LORD's sight, so he put him to death also.

11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained 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, "He might die too, like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's house.

12In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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 Timnah to his sheepshearers.

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

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

14she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.

14So she took off her widow's clothes, veiled her face, covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

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

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

16He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

16He went over to her and said, "Come, let me sleep with you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me for sleeping with me?"

17He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—”

17"I will send you a young goat from my flock," he replied. But she said, "Only if you leave something with me until you send it."

18He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet 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.

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

19Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

19She got up and left, then removed her veil and put her widow's clothes back on.

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

20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get back the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.

21And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.”

21He asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?" "There has been no cult prostitute here," they answered.

22So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’”

22So the Adullamite returned to Judah, saying, "I couldn't find her, and besides, the men of the place said, 'There has been no cult prostitute here.'"

23And 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.”

23Judah 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."

24About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

24About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant." "Bring her out," Judah said, "and let her be burned to death!"

25As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.”

25As she was being brought out, she sent her father-in-law this message: "I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong." And she added, "Examine them. Whose signet ring, cord, and staff are these?"

26Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

26Judah recognized them and said, "She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her intimately again.

27When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb.

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

28And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

28As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread around it, announcing, "This one came out first."

29But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez.

29But then he pulled his hand back, out came his brother, and she said, "What a breakout you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez.

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

30Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread tied to his hand, came out, and was named Zerah.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.