Genesis 38

1. And it came to pass at that time that Judah left his brothers and went to a certain Adullamite named Hirah.

2. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite man named Shuah. And he took her and went in to her.

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

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

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

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

7. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. And the LORD killed him.

8. And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up offspring to your brother.”

9. And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. And it came to pass when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled his seed on the ground, not giving offspring to his brother.

10. And what he did was evil in the eyes of the LORD. Therefore He killed him also.

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

12. And the days were many, and Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shuah, died. And Judah was comforted, and went up unto the shearers of his sheep, he and his friend Hirah of Adullam, to Timnah.

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

14. And she put off her widow’s clothes, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself. And she sat in an open place, which is by the road to Timnah, for she saw that Shelah was grown and she was not given to him as wife.

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

16. And he went over to her by the roadside, and said, “Come now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, so that you may come in to me?”

17. And he said, I will send a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”

18. And he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your signet and your bracelet, and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.

19. And she arose and went away, and laid away her veil from her, and put on the clothes of her widowhood.

20. And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand. But he did not find her.

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

22. And he returned to Judah, and said, “I cannot find her. And also the men of the place said, ‘There was no harlot here.’ ”

23. And Judah said, “Let her keep the things as her own, lest we be despised. Behold, I sent this kid and you have not found her.”

24. And it came to pass, about three months afterward, that it was told to Judah, saying, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot—and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.”

25. When she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “Please observe whose things these are—the signet and bracelets, and staff.”

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

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

28. And when she travailed, one child put out a hand. And the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This one came out first.”

29. And as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “How have you broken through first? This breach be upon you.” And his name was called Pharez. meaning a breach

30. And afterwards his brother came out, upon whose hand was the scarlet thread. And his name was called Zarah.