1 And it came to pass, at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned aside to a man, an Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there the daughter of a man, a Canaanite, whose name was Shuah, and took her, and went in to her. 3 And she conceived, and gave birth to a son, and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and gave birth to a son, and called his name Onan. 5 And she continued again, and gave birth to a son, and called his name Shelah. And he was in Chezib in her giving birth to him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the eyes of YHWH, and YHWH put him to death. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to the wife of your brother, and marry her, and raise up seed for your brother.” 9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be considered his. And it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he wasted it on the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother. 10 And that which he had done was evil in the eyes of YHWH, and He put him also to death. 11 And Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Abide as a widow at your father’s house, until my son Shelah grows up.” For he said, “Lest he die—even he—like his brothers.” And Tamar went and stayed at her father’s house. 12 And the days were multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah’s wife, died. And Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath. 13 And it was declared to Tamar, saying, “Look, your husband’s father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock.” 14 And she turned aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself up, and sat in the opening of Enayim, which is by the way to Timnath, for she had seen that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him for a wife. 15 And Judah saw her, and reckoned her for a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16 And he turned aside to her by the way and said, “Please come, 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 to me, that you may come in to me?” 17 And 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?” 18 And he said, “What is the pledge that I am to give to you?” And she said, “Your seal, and your ribbon, and your staff which is in your hand.” And he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she rose, and went, and turned aside her veil from off her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 And 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, and he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the separated one—she in Enayim, by the way?” And they said, “There has not been in this place a separated one.” 22 And he turned back to Judah and said, “I have not found her. And the men of the place also have said, ‘There has not been in this place a separated one,’” 23 and Judah said, “Let her take them+ for herself, lest we become despised. Look, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.” 24 And it came to pass about three months later, that it was declared to Judah, saying, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has committed fornication. And also, look, she has conceived by fornication.” And Judah said, “Bring her out—and let her be burned!” 25 She was brought out, and she sent to her husband’s father, saying, “By a man whose these are, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please discern whose these are—the seal, and the ribbons, and the staff.” 26 And Judah discerned and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because that I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not continue to know her again. 27 And it came to pass in the time of her giving birth, that look, twins were in her womb. 28 And it came to pass in her giving birth, that one gave out a hand, and the midwife took and bound on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, “This has come out first.” 29 And it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that look, his brother came out, and she said, “What! You have broken out—the breach is on you.” And he called his name Perez. 30 And afterward his brother had come out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread, and he called his name Zerah.