Genesis 38:6-27
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 38
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?'
17He said, therefore, 'I will send you a young goat from the flock.' She then said, 'Will you give a pledge until you send it?'
18He said, 'What pledge shall I give you?' And she said, 'Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.' So he gave them to her and had relations with her, and she conceived by him.
19Then she got up and departed, and removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments.
20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her.
21He asked the people of her place, saying, 'Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?' But they said, 'There has been no temple prostitute here.'
22So he returned to Judah, and said, 'I did not find her; and furthermore, the people of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’?'
23Then Judah said, 'Let her keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.'
24Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, 'Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and behold, she is also pregnant by prostitution.' Then Judah said, 'Bring her out and have her burned!'
25It was while she was being brought out that she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, 'I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong.' She also said, 'Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?'
26And Judah recognized them, and said, 'She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.' And he did not have relations with her again.
King James Version
Chapter 38
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?
17And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
25When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 38
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
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.
18What kind of guarantee do you want?' he replied. She answered, 'Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying.' So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant.
19Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow’s clothing as usual.
English Standard Version
Chapter 38
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?"
17He answered, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." And she said, "If you give me a pledge, until you send it — "
18He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
19Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.
20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman 's hand, he did not find her.
21And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?" And they said, "No cult prostitute has been here."
22So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’"
23And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her."
24About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."
25As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff."
26Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her again.
New International Version
Chapter 38
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
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.
