1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside to a man (ish), an Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2And Judah saw there the daughter of a man (ish), a Canaanite, whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to her.
3And she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Er.
4And she conceived again and bore a son; and she called his name Onan.
5And she yet again bore a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she bore him.
6And Judah took a wife (ishah) for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of YHWH; and YHWH put him to death.
8And Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife (ishah), and perform the brother-in-law's duty to her, and raise up seed to your brother."
9And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife (ishah), that he spilled it on the ground, so as not to give seed to his brother.
10And the thing which he did was evil in the eyes of YHWH; and he put him also to death.
11And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house ad(עד) Shelah my son is grown"; for he said, "Lest he also die, like his brothers." And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
12And the days were multiplied, and Shua's daughter, Judah's wife (ishah), died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite, to Timnah.
13And it was told to Tamar, saying, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."
14And she put off the garments of her widowhood from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she had not been given to him for a wife (ishah).
15And Judah saw her, and reckoned her to be a harlot, for she had covered her face.
16And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, "Come now, let me come in to you" — for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
17And he said, "I will send a kid of the goats from the flock." And she said, "Will you give a pledge until you send it?"
18And he said, "What is the pledge that I shall give you?" And she said, "Your signet, and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." And he gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.
19And she arose and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman (ishah); but he did not find her.
21And he asked the men (ish) of her place, saying, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim by the way?" And they said, "There has been no cult prostitute here."
22And he returned to Judah, and said, "I have not found her; and also the men (ish) of the place said, 'There has been no cult prostitute here.'"
23And Judah said, "Let her take them for herself, lest we become a contempt; behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her."
24And it came to pass, about three months after, that it was told to Judah, saying, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."
25She was being brought out, and she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man (ish) to whom these belong, I am with child"; and she said, "Discern, now, whose are these — the signet, and the cords, and the staff."
26And Judah discerned them, and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to Shelah my son." And he did not know her again any more.
27And it came to pass, in the time of her bearing, that behold, twins were in her womb.
28And it came to pass, when she bore, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, "This one came out first."
29And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, "How have you broken out! Upon you a breach!" And he called his name Perez.
30And afterward came out his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he called his name Zerah.