Genesis 38 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Judah and Tamar

1 And it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 at that time ^H6256, that Judah ^H3063 [fn]departed ^H3381 from his brothers ^H251 and [fn]visited ^H5186 a certain ^H376 Adullamite ^H5726, whose name ^H8034 was Hirah ^H2437.

2 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 as a wife and had ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 her. 3 And she conceived ^H2029 and gave ^H3205 birth ^H3205 to a son ^H1121, and he named ^H7121 H8034 him Er ^H6147. 4 Then she conceived ^H2029 again ^H5750 and gave ^H3205 birth ^H3205 to a son ^H1121, and she named ^H7121 H8034 him Onan ^H209. 5 She gave ^H3205 birth ^H3205 to yet ^H5750 another ^H3254 son ^H1121 and named ^H7121 H8034 him Shelah ^H7956; and it was at Chezib ^H3580 [fn]that she gave ^H3205 birth ^H3205 to him.

6 Now 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 the LORD ^H3068, so the LORD ^H3068 took ^H4191 his life ^H4191. 8 Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559 to Onan ^H209, “Have ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 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 [fn]child ^H2233 for your brother ^H251.” 9 Now Onan ^H209 knew ^H3045 that the [fn]child ^H2233 would not be his; so when ^H518 he had ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 his brother’s ^H251 wife ^H802, he [fn]wasted ^H7843 his seed on the ground ^H776 so ^H1115 that ^H1115 he would not ^H1115 give ^H5414 [fn]a child ^H2233 to his brother ^H251. 10 But what ^H834 he did ^H6213 was displeasing ^H7489 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD ^H3068; so He took ^H4191 his life ^H4191 also ^H1571. 11 Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559 to his daughter-in-law ^H3618 Tamar ^H8559, “Remain ^H3427 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 that he too ^H1571 may die ^H4191 like his brothers ^H251.” So Tamar ^H8559 went ^H1980 and lived ^H3427 in her father’s ^H1 house ^H1004.

12 Now [fn]after a considerable ^H7235 time ^H3117 Shua’s ^H7770 daughter ^H1323, the wife ^H802 of Judah ^H3063, died ^H4191; and when [fn]the time ^H5162 of ^H5162 mourning ^H5162 was ended ^H5162, Judah ^H3063 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to his sheepshearers ^H6629 H1494 at Timnah ^H8553, he and his friend ^H7453 Hirah ^H2437 the Adullamite ^H5726. 13 And Tamar ^H8559 was told ^H5046, “Behold ^H2009, your father-in-law ^H2524 is going ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Timnah ^H8553 to shear ^H1494 his sheep ^H6629.” 14 So she [fn]removed ^H5493 her widow’s ^H491 garments ^H899 and covered ^H3680 herself with a [fn]veil ^H6809, and wrapped ^H5968 herself, and sat ^H3427 in the gateway ^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 When Judah ^H3063 saw ^H7200 her, he assumed ^H2803 she was a prostitute ^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, “[fn]Here ^H3051 now ^H4994, let me have ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 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 have ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 me?” 17 He said ^H559, therefore, “I will send ^H7971 you a [fn]young ^H1423 H5795 goat ^H1423 H5795 from the flock ^H6629.” She then said ^H559, “Will you give ^H5414 a pledge ^H6162 until ^H5704 you send ^H7971 it?” 18 He said ^H559, “What ^H4100 pledge ^H6162 shall I give ^H5414 you?” And she said ^H559, “Your seal ^H2368 and your cord ^H6616, and your staff ^H4294 that is in your hand ^H3027.” So he gave ^H5414 them to her and had ^H935 relations ^H935 with ^H935 her, and she conceived ^H2029 by him. 19 Then she got ^H6965 up ^H6965 and departed ^H1980, and [fn]removed ^H5493 her [fn]veil ^H6809 and put ^H3847 on ^H3847 her widow’s ^H491 garments ^H899.

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

24 Now it was about three ^H7969 months ^H2320 later ^H4480 that Judah ^H3063 was [fn]informed ^H5046, “Your daughter-in-law ^H3618 Tamar ^H8559 has prostituted ^H2181 herself, and behold ^H2009, she is also ^H1571 pregnant ^H2030 by prostitution ^H2183.” Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559, “Bring ^H3318 her out ^H3318 and have her burned ^H8313!” 25 It was while she was being brought ^H3318 out ^H3318 that she sent ^H7971 word to her father-in-law ^H2524, saying ^H559, “I am pregnant ^H2030 by the man ^H376 to whom ^H834 these ^H428 things ^H428 belong.” She also said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 examine ^H5234 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, since ^{H3588 H5921 H3651} I did not give ^H5414 her to my son ^H1121 Shelah ^H7956.” And he did not [fn]have ^H3045 relations ^H3045 with her again ^H3254 H5750.

27 It came ^H1961 about ^H1961 at the time ^H6256 she was giving ^H3205 birth ^H3205, that behold ^H2009, there were twins ^H8380 in her womb ^H990. 28 Moreover, it took ^H1961 place ^H1961 while she was giving ^H3205 birth ^H3205, that one baby 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 But it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 as he drew ^H7725 back ^H7725 his hand ^H3027 that behold ^H2009, his brother ^H251 came ^H3318 out ^H3318. Then 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.