Genesis 38 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Judah and Tamar

1 Now it happened ^H1961 at that time ^H6256 that Judah ^H3063 went ^H3381 down ^H3381 from his brothers ^H251 and turned ^H5186 aside ^H5186 to a certain ^H376 Adullamite ^H5726, whose name ^H8034 was Hirah ^H2437.

2 And Judah ^H3063 saw ^H7200 there ^H8033 a daughter ^H1323 of a certain ^H376 Canaanite ^H3669 whose name ^H8034 was Shua ^H7770; and he took ^H3947 her and went ^H935 in ^H935 to her. 3 So she conceived ^H2029 and bore ^H3205 a son ^H1121, and he named ^H7121 H8034 him Er ^H6147. 4 Then she conceived ^H2029 again ^H5750 and bore ^H3205 a son ^H1121, and she named ^H7121 H8034 him Onan ^H209. 5 And she bore ^H3205 still ^H5750 another ^H3254 son ^H1121, and she named ^H7121 H8034 him Shelah ^H7956; and it was at Chezib ^H3580 [fn]that she bore ^H3205 him.

6 Then Judah ^H3063 took ^H3947 a wife ^H802 for Er ^H6147 his firstborn ^H1060, and her name ^H8034 was Tamar ^H8559. 7 But Er ^H6147, Judah’s ^H3063 firstborn ^H1060, was evil ^H7451 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068, so Yahweh ^H3068 put ^H4191 him to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 8 Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559 to Onan ^H209, “Go ^H935 in ^H935 to your brother’s ^H251 wife ^H802, and perform ^H2992 your duty ^H2992 as ^H2992 a ^H2992 brother-in-law ^H2992 to her, and raise ^H6965 up ^H6965 a seed ^H2233 for your brother ^H251.” 9 And Onan ^H209 knew ^H3045 that the seed ^H2233 would not be his; and it happened that when ^H518 he went ^H935 in ^H935 to his brother’s ^H251 wife ^H802, he wasted ^H7843 it on the ground ^H776 in order not to give ^H5414 seed ^H2233 to his brother ^H251. 10 But what ^H834 he did ^H6213 was displeasing ^H7489 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068; so He put ^H4191 him to death ^H4191 also ^H1571. 11 Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559 to his daughter-in-law ^H3618 Tamar ^H8559, “Live ^H3427 as a widow ^H490 in your father’s ^H1 house ^H1004 until ^H5704 my son ^H1121 Shelah ^H7956 grows ^H1431 up”; for he [fn]thought ^H559, “I am afraid lest ^H6435 he also ^H1571 die ^H4191 like his brothers ^H251.” So Tamar ^H8559 went ^H1980 and lived ^H3427 in her father’s ^H1 house ^H1004.

12 And [fn]after a considerable ^H7235 time ^H3117, Shua’s ^H7770 daughter ^H1323, the wife ^H802 of Judah ^H3063, died ^H4191. Then Judah ^H3063 was comforted ^H5162, and he went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to his sheepshearers ^H6629 H1494 at Timnah ^H8553, he and his friend ^H7453 Hirah ^H2437 the Adullamite ^H5726. 13 Then it was told ^H5046 to Tamar ^H8559, “[fn]Behold ^H2009, your father-in-law ^H2524 is going ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Timnah ^H8553 to shear ^H1494 his sheep ^H6629.” 14 So she removed ^H5493 her widow’s ^H491 garments ^H899 from herself and covered ^H3680 herself with a [fn]veil ^H6809 and wrapped ^H5968 herself. And she sat ^H3427 at the entrance ^H6607 of [fn]Enaim ^H5879, which ^H834 is on the road ^H1870 to Timnah ^H8553; for she saw ^H7200 that Shelah ^H7956 had grown ^H1431 up ^H1431, and she had not been given ^H5414 to him as a wife ^H802. 15 Then Judah ^H3063 saw ^H7200 her, and he thought ^H2803 she was a harlot ^H2181, for she had covered ^H3680 her face ^H6440. 16 So he turned ^H5186 aside ^H5186 to her by the road ^H1870 and said ^H559, “Here ^H3051 now ^H4994, let me come ^H935 in ^H935 to you”; for he did not know ^H3045 that she was his daughter-in-law ^H3618. And she said ^H559, “What ^H4100 will you give ^H5414 me, that you may come ^H935 in ^H935 to me?” 17 He said ^H559, therefore, “I will send ^H7971 you a [fn]young ^H1423 H5795 goat ^H1423 H5795 from the flock ^H6629.” She said ^H559, moreover, “Will you give ^H5414 a pledge ^H6162 until ^H5704 you send ^H7971 it?” 18 Then he said ^H559, “What ^H4100 pledge ^H6162 shall I give ^H5414 you?” And she said ^H559, “Your signet ^H2368 and your cord ^H6616 and your staff ^H4294 that is in your hand ^H3027.” So he gave ^H5414 them to her and went ^H935 in ^H935 to her, and she conceived ^H2029 by him. 19 Then she arose ^H6965 and went ^H1980. And she removed ^H5493 her [fn]veil ^H6809 from herself and put ^H3847 on ^H3847 her widow’s ^H491 garments ^H899.

20 Then Judah ^H3063 sent ^H7971 the [fn]young ^H1423 H5795 goat ^H1423 H5795 by his friend ^H7453 the Adullamite ^H5726 to take ^H3947 the pledge ^H6162 from the woman’s ^H802 hand ^H3027, but he did not find ^H4672 her. 21 So he asked ^H7592 the men ^H376 of her place ^H4725, saying ^H559, “Where ^H346 is the cult ^H6945 prostitute ^H6945 who ^H1931 was by the road ^H1870 at Enaim ^H5879?” But they said ^H559, “There has been ^H1961 no ^H3808 cult ^H6945 prostitute ^H6945 here ^H2088.” 22 So he returned ^H7725 to Judah ^H3063 and said ^H559, “I did not find ^H4672 her; and furthermore ^H1571, the men ^H376 of the place ^H4725 said ^H559, ‘There has been ^H1961 no ^H3808 cult ^H6945 prostitute ^H6945 here ^H2088.’” 23 Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559, “Let her [fn]keep ^H3947 them, lest ^H6435 we become ^H1961 a laughingstock ^H937. Behold ^H2009, I sent ^H7971 this ^H2088 young ^H1423 goat ^H1423, but you did not find ^H4672 her.”

24 Now it happened about three ^H7969 months ^H2320 later ^H4480 that it was told ^H5046 to Judah ^H3063 saying ^H559, “[fn]Your daughter-in-law ^H3618 Tamar ^H8559 has played ^H2181 the ^H2181 harlot ^H2181, and behold ^H2009, she is also ^H1571 with child ^H2030 by harlotry ^H2183.” Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559, “Bring ^H3318 her out ^H3318 and let her be burned ^H8313!” 25 It was while she was being brought ^H3318 out ^H3318 that she sent ^H7971 to her father-in-law ^H2524, saying ^H559, “I am with child ^H2030 by the man ^H376 to whom ^H834 these ^H428 things ^H428 belong.” And she said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 recognize ^H5234 this and ^H5234 see ^H5234, whose ^H4310 signet ^H2368 ring ^H2858 and cords ^H6616 and staff ^H4294 are these ^H428?” 26 And Judah ^H3063 recognized ^H5234 them and said ^H559, “She is ^H6663 more ^H4480 righteous ^H6663 than ^H4480 I, inasmuch ^{H3588 H5921 H3651} as I did not give ^H5414 her to my son ^H1121 Shelah ^H7956.” And he did not [fn]know ^H3045 her again ^H3254 H5750.

27 Now it happened ^H1961 at the time ^H6256 she was giving ^H3205 birth ^H3205, that behold ^H2009, there were twins ^H8380 in her womb ^H990. 28 And it happened ^H1961, while she was giving ^H3205 birth ^H3205, one put ^H5414 out a hand ^H3027, and the midwife ^H3205 took ^H3947 and tied ^H7194 a scarlet ^H8144 thread on his hand ^H3027, saying ^H559, “This ^H2088 one ^H2088 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 first ^H7223.” 29 And then it happened ^H1961, as he drew ^H7725 back ^H7725 his hand ^H3027, that behold ^H2009, his brother ^H251 came ^H3318 out ^H3318. So she said ^H559, “What ^H4100 a breach ^H6556 you have made ^H6555 for yourself!” So he was named ^H7121 H8034 [fn]Perez ^H6557. 30 Afterward ^H310 his brother ^H251 came ^H3318 out ^H3318 who ^H834 had the scarlet ^H8144 thread on his hand ^H3027; and he was named ^H7121 H8034 [fn]Zerah ^H2226.