Judah and Tamar (1 Chronicles 2:3–4)
1 UEB It came about at that time that Judah left his brothers and stayed with a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. BSB BSB: About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.
2 UEB He met there a daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua. He married her and slept with her. BSB BSB: There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her.
3 UEB She became pregnant and had a son. He was named Er. BSB BSB: So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er.
4 UEB She became pregnant again and had a son. She called his name Onan. BSB BSB: Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan.
5 UEB She again had a son and called his name Shelah. It was at Kezib where she gave birth to him. BSB BSB: Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.
6 UEB Judah found a wife for Er, his firstborn. Her name was Tamar. BSB BSB: Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7 UEB Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him. BSB BSB: But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.
8 UEB Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother's wife. Do the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a child for your brother." BSB BSB: Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”
9 UEB Onan knew that the child would not be his. Whenever he slept with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground so he would not have a child for his brother. BSB BSB: But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.
10 UEB What he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him also. BSB BSB: What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.
11 UEB Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house until Shelah, my son, grows up." For he feared, "He might also die, just like his brothers." Tamar left and lived in her father's house. BSB BSB: Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.
12 UEB After a long time, Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. BSB BSB: After 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 his sheepshearers at Timnah.
13 UEB Tamar was told, "Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep." BSB BSB: When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
14 UEB She took off the clothing of her widowhood and covered herself with her veil and wrapped herself. She sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up but she had not been given to him as a wife. BSB BSB: she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.
15 UEB When Judah saw her he thought that she was a prostitute because she had covered her face. BSB BSB: When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.
16 UEB He went to her by the road and said, "Come, please let me sleep with you"—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law—and she said, "What will you give me so you can sleep with me?" BSB BSB: Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.
17 UEB He said, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, "Will you give me a pledge until you send it?" BSB BSB: “I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered. But she replied, “Only if you leave me something as a pledge until you send it.”
18 UEB He said, "What pledge can I give you?" She replied, "Your seal and cord, and the staff that is in your hand." He gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him. BSB BSB: “What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19 UEB She got up and went away. She took off her veil and put on the clothing of her widowhood. BSB BSB: Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.
20 UEB Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order that he might receive the pledge back from the woman's hand, but he did not find her. BSB BSB: Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.
21 UEB Then the Adullamite asked the men of the place, "Where is the cultic prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?" They said, "There has not been a cultic prostitute here." BSB BSB: He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered.
22 UEB He returned to Judah and said, "I did not find her. Also, the men of the place said, 'There has not been a cultic prostitute here.'" BSB BSB: So Hirah returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and furthermore, the men of that place said, ‘No shrine prostitute has been here.’”
23 UEB Judah said, "Let her keep the things, that we not be put to shame. Indeed, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her." BSB BSB: “Let her keep the items,” Judah replied. “Otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you could not find her.”
24 UEB It came about after about three months that it was told to Judah, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed prostitution, and indeed, she is pregnant by it." Judah said, "Bring her here and let her be burned." BSB BSB: About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”
25 UEB When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law a message, "By the man who owns these I am pregnant." She said, "Determine please whose these are, the seal and cords and staff." BSB BSB: As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?”
26 UEB Judah recognized them and said, "She is more righteous than I am, since I did not give her as a wife to Shelah, my son." He did not sleep with her again. BSB BSB: Judah recognized the items 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.
The Birth of Perez and Zerah 27 UEB It came about at the time for her to give birth that, behold, twins were in her womb. BSB BSB: When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb.
28 UEB It came about as she was giving birth one put out a hand, and the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand and said, "This one came out first." BSB BSB: And as she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it around his wrist. “This one came out first,” she announced.
29 UEB But then he drew back his hand, and, behold, his brother came out first. The midwife said, "How you have broken out!" So he was named Perez. BSB BSB: But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.
30 UEB Then his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread upon his hand, and he was named Zerah. BSB BSB: Then his brother came out with the scarlet thread around his wrist, and he was named Zerah.