Genesis 38
A Scarlet Thread in the Line of the King
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Judah’s Adversity
38:1It came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and arrived as far as a certain Adullamite man named Hirah.
38:2Judah saw there a Canaanite man’s daughter named Shua. He took her as his wife and went in to her.
38:3She conceived and bore a son, and named him Er.
38:4And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.
38:5She bore another son and named him Shelah. She was at Chasbi when she bore them.
38:6And Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
38:7Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked before the Lord, and God put him to death.
38:8Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, perform a brother-in-law’s duty to her, and raise up seed for your brother.”
38:9Onan knew that the seed would not be his, so whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to avoid giving seed to his brother.
38:10It appeared evil before God that he did this, and He put him to death also.
38:11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”—for he said to himself, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
Judah’s Lust
38:12After many days, Shua, Judah’s wife, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah with his shepherd Hirah the Adullamite.
38:13Tamar, his daughter-in-law, was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
38:14She removed her widow’s garments, put on a veil, adorned herself, and sat at the gates of Ainan on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, but he had not given her to him as a wife.
38:15Judah saw her and thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face, and he did not recognize her.
38:16And he turned aside to her by the wayside and said, “Allow me to come in to you”—for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me if you come in to me?”
38:17He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?”
38:18He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She said, “Your ring, your necklace, and the staff in your hand.” He gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.
38:19Then she arose and departed; she took off her veil and put on her widow’s garments once again.
38:20Judah sent the young goat by his shepherd the Adullamite to recover the pledge from the woman, but he did not find her.
38:21Then he questioned the men of that place, saying, “Where is the prostitute who was by the road at Ainan?” They replied, “There has been no prostitute here.”
38:22So he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her; and moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There is no prostitute here.’”
38:23And Judah said, “Let her keep them for herself, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this kid, and you did not find her.”
Judah’s Shame
38:24And it came to pass after three months that it was reported to Judah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the prostitute, and behold, she is with child from prostitution.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.”
38:25As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” She said, “Recognize whose ring, necklace, and staff these are.”
38:26Judah recognized them and said, “Tamar is more in the right than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” He did not know her again.
38:27And it came to pass when she was giving birth, behold, there were twins in her womb.
38:28As she gave birth, one put out a hand. The midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread around it, saying, “This one will come out first.”
38:29But as he drew back his hand, his brother immediately came out. She said, “Why has a barrier been broken through because of you?” He was named Perez.
38:30Afterward his brother came out, with the scarlet thread on his hand; he was named Zerah.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.