Genesis 38:1-16
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 38
1And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her as a wife and had relations with her. 3And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er. 4Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan. 5She gave birth to yet another son and named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.
6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life.
8Then Judah said to Onan, 'Have relations with your brother’s wife and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a child for your brother.'
9Now Onan knew that the child would not be his; so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground so that he would not give a child to his brother.
10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He took his life also.
11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, 'Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up'; for he thought, 'I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.' So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12Now after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13And Tamar was told, 'Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.'
14So she removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.
15When Judah saw her, he assumed she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16So 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?'
King James Version
Chapter 38
1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 5And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.
8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
10And the thing which he did displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.
12And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16And 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?
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 38
1At that time Judah left his brothers and settled near an Adullamite named Hirah. 2There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he took her as a wife and slept with her. 3She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er. 4She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and named him Onan. 5She gave birth to another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.
6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord put him to death.
8Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and produce offspring for your brother."
9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.
10What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so he put him to death also.
12After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers.
13Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."
14So she took off her widow’s clothes, veiled her face, covered herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.
15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
New Living Translation
Chapter 38
1About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah. 2There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her. When he slept with her, 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er. 4Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan. 5And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah’s birth, they were living at Kezib.
6In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar.
7But Er was a wicked man in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord took his life.
8Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, 'Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.'
9But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother.
10But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too.
12Some years later Judah’s wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep.
13Someone told Tamar, 'Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.'
14Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow’s clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.
15Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face.
English Standard Version
Chapter 38
1It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.
6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7But Er, Judah 's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death.
8Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother 's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."
9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother 's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.
10And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death also.
11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father 's house, till Shelah my son grows up" — for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father 's house.
12In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua 's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,"
14she took off her widow 's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.
15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16He 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?"
New International Version
Chapter 38
1At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah. 2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her; 3she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er. 4She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan. 5She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.
8Then Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother."
9But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother.
10What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.
13When Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,"
14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
New King James Version
Chapter 38
1It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
6Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him.
8And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.”
9But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother.
10And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
12Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife.
15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.
