1 And it happened at that time Judah went down from his brothers and turned in to a certain Adullamite, named Hirah.
2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite man named Shuah. And he took her and went in to her.
3 And she conceived and bore a son. And he called his name Er.
4 And she conceived again, and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.
5 And she yet again conceived and bore a son. And she called his name Shelah. And she was at Chezib when she bore him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name [was] Tamar.
7 And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. And the LORD killed him.
8 And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife, and marry [her], and raise up seed to your brother.
9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his. And it happened when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled on the ground, not giving seed to his brother.
10 And what he did was evil in the eyes of the LORD. Therefore He killed him also.
11 Then said Judah to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at your father's house until Shelah my son is grown. For he said, Lest perhaps he die also, as his brothers [did]. And Tamar went and lived in her father's house.
12 And the days were many, and Judah's wife, the daughter of Shuah, died. And Judah was comforted, and went up to shearers of his sheep, he and his friend Hiram of Adullam, to Timnah.
13 And it was told to Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear his sheep.
14 And she put off her widow's clothes, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself. And [she] sat in an open place, which [is] by the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown and she was not given to him as wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face.
16 And he turned aside to her by the wayside, 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, so 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 me a pledge until you send [it] ?
18 And he said, What pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your signet, and your bracelet, and your staff that [is] in your hand. And he gave to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.
19 And she arose, and went away, and laid away her veil from her, and put on the clothes of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive [his] pledge from the woman's hand. But he did not find her.
21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where [is] the harlot who was by the wayside? And they said, There [was] no harlot here.
22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her. And also the men of the place said, There [was] no harlot here.
23 And Judah said, Let her take [it] to her, lest we be ashamed. Behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her.
24 And it happened, about three months afterward, that it was told Judah, saying, Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and also, behold, she [is] with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burned.
25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the man whose things these [are]. And she said, Please observe. Whose things are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff?
26 And Judah acknowledged [them], and said, She has been more righteous than I have, because I did not give her to my son Shelah. And he never knew her again.
27 And it happened, in the time of her travail, behold, twins [were] in her womb.
28 And when she travailed, it happened that [one] put out a hand. And the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This one came out first.
29 And it happened as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, How have you broken a break for yourself? And his name was called Pharez.
30 And afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread. And his name was called Zarah.