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Chapter 38
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Verse 1

At that time, Judah left his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was 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.

Verse 2

There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; he took her and went in to her.

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

Verse 3

She conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er.

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

Verse 4

She conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan.

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

Verse 5

Yet again she conceived and bore a son, and named him Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she bore him.

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

Verse 6

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

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

Verse 7

But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; 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.

Verse 8

Then Judah said to Onan, Go to your brother’s wife, marry her, and raise 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.

Verse 9

But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went to his brother’s wife, he spilled his seed on the ground, to avoid giving offspring to 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.

Verse 10

What he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death also.

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

Verse 11

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, Stay a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up; for he thought, Lest he also die like his brothers. So Tamar went and lived 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.

Verse 12

After some time, Shuah's daughter, Judah's wife, died; after being comforted, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnath, he and 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.

Verse 13

Tamar was told, Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

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

Verse 14

So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself, and sat by the roadside in an open place, which is on the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 16

He turned to her by the roadside and said, Let me come in to you; for he did not know she was his daughter-in-law. She said, What will you give me, that you may come in to me?

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?

Verse 17

He said, I will send you a young goat from the flock. She said, Will you give me a pledge, till 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?

Verse 18

He said, What pledge shall I give you? She replied, Your signet, your bracelets, and your staff that is in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to 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.

Verse 19

Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil, she put on her widow’s garments again.

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

Verse 20

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

Verse 21

He asked the men of the place, Where is the prostitute who was by the roadside? They said, 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.

Verse 22

So he returned to Judah and said, I could not find her; and the men of the place said there has been no prostitute there.

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.

Verse 23

Judah said, Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock; after all, I sent the young goat, and you did not 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.

Verse 24

About three months later, it was told Judah, Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; moreover, she is pregnant by harlotry. 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.

Verse 25

As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant. She also said, Discern, please, whose these are—the signet, the bracelets, and the staff.

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.

Verse 26

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.

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.

Verse 27

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

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

Verse 28

As she was giving birth, one put out his hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread to his hand, 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.

Verse 29

But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. She said, How have you broken through? This breach is upon you. Therefore 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.

Verse 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.

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