1 At that time, Judah left his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite man named Hirah.

And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and had relations with her.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

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

And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

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

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

5 She gave birth to yet another son and named him Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she gave birth to him.

And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

6 Judah arranged a wife for Er, his firstborn son. Her name was Tamar.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

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

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, 'Lie with your brother's widow, perform your duty as her brother-in-law, and produce offspring for your brother.'

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

9 However, Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he went in to his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to avoid producing offspring for his brother.

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

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

And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

11 Then 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 might die too, just like his brothers.' So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

12 After a long time, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he went up to Timnah to his sheep shearers, accompanied by his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

14 So she took off her widow's garments, covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself up, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. She saw that Shelah had grown up, but she had not been given to him as a wife.

And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

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

When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

16 He turned aside to her by the roadside and said, 'Come now, let me sleep with you.' He did not know she was his daughter-in-law. She asked, 'What will you give me to sleep with you?'

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

17 He replied, 'I will send you a young goat from my flock.' She said, 'Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?'

And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

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

And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

19 Then she got up and left, took off her veil, and put back on her widow's garments.

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to retrieve the pledge from the woman, but he could not find her.

And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

21 He asked the men of the place, 'Where is the prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?' They replied, 'There has been no prostitute here.'

Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

22 So he returned to Judah and said, 'I couldn’t find her. Furthermore, the men of the place said, "There has been no prostitute here."'

And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

23 Judah said, 'Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.'

And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

24 About three months later, Judah was told, 'Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant as a result.' Judah said, 'Bring her out and let her be burned!'

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

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

When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

26 Judah recognized them 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.

And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

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

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

28 As she was giving birth, one of them extended his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread around it, saying, 'This one came out first.'

And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

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

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

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

And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.