Genesis 38 NKJV NIV 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.

1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam 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 and made love to her;

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

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

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

4She conceived again and gave birth to a 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.

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

6Then 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 killed him.

7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the LORD's sight; so the LORD 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.”

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."

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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

13When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way 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.

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.

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, for she had covered 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?”

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.

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 my flock," he said. "Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?" she asked.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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 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.'"

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 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."

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!”

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!"

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.”

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."

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.

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.

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

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

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."

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.

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.

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

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

New International Version (NIV)

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