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Genesis 38:16
ESV He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
NIV Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, "Come now, let me sleep with you." "And what will you give me to sleep with you?" she asked.
NASB So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, 'Here now, let me have relations with you'; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, 'What will you give me, that you may have relations with me?'
CSB He went over to her and said, "Come, let me sleep with you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me for sleeping with me?"
NLT So he stopped and propositioned her. 'Let me have sex with you,' he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law. 'How much will you pay to have sex with me?' Tamar asked.
KJV And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
NKJV Then he turned 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. So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

What does Genesis 38:16 mean?

In Scripture, everyone—even God's chosen people—are honestly presented as flawed human beings. Jacob's son Judah (Genesis 29:25) likely went against his family's instructions in marrying a local Canaanite woman (Genesis 28:1). Two of the three sons he had with her have been killed by God for their wickedness (Genesis 38:7–10) and now she, too, has died (Genesis 38:12). Judah, who told his sons' widow Tamar that he would allow her to marry his third son (Genesis 38:11), has not followed through on that commitment (Genesis 38:14). His comforting promise to her was a lie, leaving her widowed, childless, and without hope.

Now, Judah is propositioning a roadside prostitute (Genesis 38:15). He's completely unaware she is, in fact, this same daughter-in-law in disguise. Tamar is working a dangerous scheme to trap Judah into taking care of her. It's not a pretty scenario. Like many such encounters, it begins with a negotiation of price.
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