Genesis 38 NKJV ISV Parallel

◄ Genesis 38 ►

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1It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.

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

6Then Judah took 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 sight of the LORD, and the LORD killed him.

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

8And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to 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 heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to 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.

10And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.

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

11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

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.

12Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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.

13And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

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

14So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a 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 harlot, because she had covered her face.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, since she had concealed her face.

16Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

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?"

17And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”

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?"

18Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived 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.

19So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.

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

20And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, 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.

21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?” And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”

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 returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”

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 take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found 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."

24And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.” So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

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!"

25When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”

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."

26So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew 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.

27Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb.

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

28And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “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."

29Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called 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.

30Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.

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

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