Genesis 38 NIV ISV Parallel

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◄ Genesis 38 ►

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1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.

1Right about then, Judah left his brothers and went to live with an Adullamite man named Hirah.

2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her;

2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her, had sexual relations with her,

3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.

3and she conceived, bore a son, and named him Er.

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

4Later, she conceived again, bore another son, and named him Onan.

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

5Then she bore yet another son and named him Shelah. Judah was living in Kezib when she bore him.

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

6Judah found a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar.

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

7But the LORD considered Er, Judah's oldest son, to be wicked—so he put him to death.

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

8So Judah instructed Onan, "You are to have sexual relations with your dead brother's wife, performing the duty of a brother-in-law with her, and have offspring for your brother."

9But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.

9But Onan knew that the offspring wouldn't be his own heir, so whenever he had sexual relations with his brother's wife, he would spill his semen on the ground to avoid fathering offspring for his brother.

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

10The LORD considered what Onan was doing to be evil, so he put him to death, too.

11Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Live as a widow in your father's household until my son Shelah grows up." For he thought, "He may die too, just like his brothers." So Tamar went to live in her father's household.

11After this, Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Go live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." But he was really thinking, "…otherwise, Shelah might die like his brothers." So Tamar left and lived in her father's house.

12After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.

12Some years later, Shua's daughter (that is, Judah's wife) died. As Judah was grieving, he visited the shearers of his flock in Timnah, accompanied by his Adullamite friend Hirah.

13When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,"

13"Look!" somebody reported to Tamar, "Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14she took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.

14So she took off her mourning apparel, covered herself with a shawl, and concealed her outward appearance. Then she went out and sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah, because she knew that even though Shelah had grown up, she wasn't being given to him as his 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, since she had concealed her face.

16Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you." "And what will you give me to sleep with you?" she asked.

16So on the way, he turned aside, approached her, and said, "Come on! Let's have some sex!" But he didn't realize that he was talking to his own daughter-in-law. "What will you give me," she asked, "in order to have sex with me?"

17"I'll send you a young goat from my flock," he said. "Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked.

17"I'll send you a young goat from the flock," he responded. But she pressed him, asking, "What security will you put up until you've sent it?"

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

18Then he asked, "What pledge do you want me to give you?" "Your signet ring, cord, and the staff in your hand," she suggested. So he gave them to her, had sex with her, and she became pregnant by him.

19After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow's clothes again.

19Then she got up and left. Later, she took off her shawl and put on her mourning clothes.

20Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.

20Later on, Judah sent his Adullamite friend to take her a young goat, intending to retrieve what he had put up as security from the woman, but he could not find her.

21He asked the men who lived there, "Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?" "There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here," they said.

21He asked the men who lived in that area, "Where's that temple prostitute who was sitting alongside the road at Enaim?" But they replied, "There's been no temple prostitute here."

22So he went back to Judah and said, "I didn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, 'There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here.'"

22So he returned to Judah and said, "I haven't found her. Also, the men who are from there said, 'There's been no prostitute here.'"

23Then 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."

23Then Judah said, "Let her have those things. Otherwise, we'll become contemptible. I sent this young goat, but you didn't find her."

24About three months later Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant." Judah said, "Bring her out and have her burned to death!"

24Three months later, it was reported to Judah, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution! And look! She's pregnant because of it!" "Bring her out," Judah responded. "Let's burn her to death!"

25As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. "I am pregnant by the man who owns these," she said. And she added, "See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are."

25While they were bringing her out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Furthermore," she added, "tell me to whom this signet ring, cord, and staff belongs."

26Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn't give her to my son Shelah." And he did not sleep with her again.

26When Judah recognized them, he admitted, "She is more upright than I, because I never did give her my son Shelah." And he never had sex with her again.

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

27Later, when it was time for Tamar to give birth, she was carrying twins in her womb!

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

28While she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, so the midwife grabbed it and tied something scarlet around his hand, observing, "This one came out first."

29But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, "So this is how you have broken out!" And he was named Perez.

29As it was, he withdrew his hand, and then his brother was born. Amazed, the midwife cried out loud, "What's this? A breach birth?" So that boy was named Perez.

30Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.

30Afterwards, his brother came out, and around his hand was the scarlet. So they named him Zerah.

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