Judah and Tamar

(1 Chronicles 2:3-12)

1And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Judah goeth down from his brethren, and turneth aside unto a man, an Adullamite, whose name [is] Hirah; 2and Judah seeth there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name [is] Shuah, and taketh her, and goeth in unto her. 3And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er; 4and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan; 5and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.

6And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name [is] Tamar; 7and Er, Judah’s first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death. 8And Judah saith to Onan, ‘Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother;’ 9and Onan knoweth that the seed is not [reckoned] his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother’s wife, that he hath destroyed [it] to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother; 10and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death. 11And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, ‘Abide a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son groweth up;’ for he said, ‘Lest he die — even he — like his brethren;’ and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at her father’s house.

12And the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah’s wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath. 13And it is declared to Tamar, saying, ‘Lo, thy husband’s father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;’ 14and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which [is] by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife. 15And Judah seeth her, and reckoneth her for a harlot, for she hath covered her face, 16and he turneth aside unto her by the way, and saith, ‘Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee,’ (for he hath not known that she [is] his daughter-in-law); and she saith, ‘What dost thou give to me, that thou mayest come in unto me?’ 17and he saith, ‘I — I send a kid of the goats from the flock.’ And she saith, ‘Dost thou give a pledge till thou send [it]?’ 18and he saith, ‘What [is] the pledge that I give to thee?’ and she saith, ‘Thy seal, and thy ribbon, and thy staff which [is] in thy hand;’ and he giveth to her, and goeth in unto her, and she conceiveth to him; 19and she riseth, and goeth, and turneth aside her vail from off her, and putteth on the garments of her widowhood.

20And Judah sendeth the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he hath not found her. 21And he asketh the men of her place, saying, ‘Where [is] the separated one — she in Enayim, by the way?’ and they say, ‘There hath not been in this [place] a separated one.’ 22And he turneth back unto Judah, and saith, ‘I have not found her; and the men of the place also have said, There hath not been in this [place] a separated one,’ 23and Judah saith, ‘Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.’

24And it cometh to pass about three months [after], that it is declared to Judah, saying, ‘Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath committed fornication; and also, lo, she hath conceived by fornication:’ and Judah saith, ‘Bring her out — and she is burnt.’ 25She is brought out, and she hath sent unto her husband’s father, saying, ‘To a man whose these [are], I [am] pregnant;’ and she saith, ‘Discern, I pray thee, whose [are] these — the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.’ 26And Judah discerneth and saith, ‘She hath been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to Shelah my son;’ and he hath not added to know her again.

The Birth of Pharez and Zarah

27And it cometh to pass in the time of her bearing, that lo, twins [are] in her womb; 28and it cometh to pass in her bearing, that [one] giveth out a hand, and the midwife taketh and bindeth on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, ‘This hath come out first.’ 29And it cometh to pass as he draweth back his hand, that lo, his brother hath come out, and she saith, ‘What! thou hast broken forth — on thee [is] the breach;’ and he calleth his name Pharez; 30and afterwards hath his brother come out, on whose hand [is] the scarlet thread, and he calleth his name Zarah.