BERESHITH (GENESIS) 38

Gen 38:1 And at that time it came to be that Yehuḏah left his brothers, and
turned aside to a man, an Aḏullamite whose name was Ḥirah.
Gen 38:2 And Yehuḏah saw there a daughter of a certain Kena‛anite whose
name was Shuwa. And he took her and went in to her.
Gen 38:3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Ĕr.
Gen 38:4 And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name
Onan.
Gen 38:5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name
Shĕlah. And he was at Keziḇ when she bore him.
Gen 38:6 And Yehuḏah took a wife for Ĕr his first-born, and her name was
Tamar.
Gen 38:7 But Ĕr, Yehuḏah’s first-born, was evil in the eyes of יהוה, and יהוה
took his life.
Gen 38:8 And Yehuḏah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and
marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.”
Gen 38:9 And Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. And it came to
be, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled on the ground, lest
he should give an offspring to his brother.
Gen 38:10 But what he did displeased יהוה, so He took his life too.
Gen 38:11 Then Yehuḏah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a
widow in your father’s house until my son Shĕlah is grown.” For he said,
“Lest he also die as his brothers did.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her
father’s house.
Gen 38:12 And after a long time the daughter of Shuwa, Yehuḏah’s wife,
died. And Yehuḏah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers at
Timnah, he and his friend Ḥirah the Aḏullamite.
Gen 38:13 And it was reported to Tamar, saying, “See, your father-in-law is
going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
Gen 38:14 And she took off her widow’s garments, and covered herself with
a veil and wrapped herself, and sat at the entrance to Ĕnayim which was on
the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shĕlah was grown, and she was not
given to him as a wife.
Gen 38:15 And Yehuḏah saw her, and reckoned her for a whore, for she had
covered her face.
Gen 38:16 And he turned aside 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. And
she said, “What do you give me to come in to me?”
Gen 38:17 And he said, “Let me send you a young goat from the flock.” And
she said, “Do you give me a pledge until you send it?”
Gen 38:18 So he said, “What pledge should I give you?” And she said,
“Your seal and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave
them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
Gen 38:19 And she arose and went away, and removed her veil and put on
the garments of her widowhood.
Gen 38:20 And Yehuḏah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the
Aḏullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find
her.
Gen 38:21 And he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the cult
prostitute who was beside the way to Ĕnayim?” And they said, “There was
no cult prostitute in this place.”
Gen 38:22 And he returned to Yehuḏah and said, “I have not found her. And
the men of the place also said there was no cult prostitute in this place.”
Gen 38:23 And Yehuḏah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we become
despised, for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”
Gen 38:24 And it came to be, about three months after, that Yehuḏah was
informed, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has whored, and see, she has
conceived by whoring.” And Yehuḏah said, “Bring her out and let her be
burned!”
Gen 38:25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying,
“By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please
examine whose these are: the seal and the cord and the staff.”
Gen 38:26 And Yehuḏah examined and said, “She has been more righteous
than I, because I did not give her to Shĕlah my son.” And he never knew her
again.
Gen 38:27 And it came to be, at the time for giving birth, that see, twins
were in her womb.
Gen 38:28 And it came to be, 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.”
Gen 38:29 And it came to be, as he drew back his hand, that see, his brother
came out! And she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon
you!” So his name was called Perets.
Gen 38:30 And afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on
his hand. So his name was called Zeraḥ.