International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1Right about then, Judah left his brothers and went to live with an Adullamite man named Hirah.

1It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her, had sexual relations with her,

2There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her,

3and she conceived, bore a son, and named him Er.

3and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

4Later, she conceived again, bore another son, and named him Onan.

4She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

5Then she bore yet another son and named him Shelah. Judah was living in Kezib when she bore him.

5Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him.

6Judah found a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar.

6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7But the LORD considered Er, Judah's oldest son, to be wicked—so he put him to death.

7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death.

8So Judah instructed Onan, "You are to have sexual relations with your dead brother's wife, performing the duty of a brother-in-law with her, and have offspring for your brother."

8Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”

9But Onan knew that the offspring wouldn't be his own heir, so whenever he had sexual relations with his brother's wife, he would spill his semen on the ground to avoid fathering offspring for his brother.

9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.

10The LORD considered what Onan was doing to be evil, so he put him to death, too.

10And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also.

11After this, Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Go live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up." But he was really thinking, "…otherwise, Shelah might die like his brothers." So Tamar left and lived in her father's house.

11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house.

12Some years later, Shua's daughter (that is, Judah's wife) died. As Judah was grieving, he visited the shearers of his flock in Timnah, accompanied by his Adullamite friend Hirah.

12In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13"Look!" somebody reported to Tamar, "Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep."

13And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,”

14So she took off her mourning apparel, covered herself with a shawl, and concealed her outward appearance. Then she went out and sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah, because she knew that even though Shelah had grown up, she wasn't being given to him as his wife.

14she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, since she had concealed her face.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.

16So on the way, he turned aside, approached her, and said, "Come on! Let's have some sex!" But he didn't realize that he was talking to his own daughter-in-law. "What will you give me," she asked, "in order to have sex with me?"

16He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

17"I'll send you a young goat from the flock," he responded. But she pressed him, asking, "What security will you put up until you've sent it?"

17He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—”

18Then he asked, "What pledge do you want me to give you?" "Your signet ring, cord, and the staff in your hand," she suggested. So he gave them to her, had sex with her, and she became pregnant by him.

18He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

19Then she got up and left. Later, she took off her shawl and put on her mourning clothes.

19Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

20Later on, Judah sent his Adullamite friend to take her a young goat, intending to retrieve what he had put up as security from the woman, but he could not find her.

20When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her.

21He asked the men who lived in that area, "Where's that temple prostitute who was sitting alongside the road at Enaim?" But they replied, "There's been no temple prostitute here."

21And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.”

22So he returned to Judah and said, "I haven't found her. Also, the men who are from there said, 'There's been no prostitute here.'"

22So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’”

23Then Judah said, "Let her have those things. Otherwise, we'll become contemptible. I sent this young goat, but you didn't find her."

23And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”

24Three months later, it was reported to Judah, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution! And look! She's pregnant because of it!" "Bring her out," Judah responded. "Let's burn her to death!"

24About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

25While they were bringing her out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Furthermore," she added, "tell me to whom this signet ring, cord, and staff belongs."

25As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.”

26When Judah recognized them, he admitted, "She is more upright than I, because I never did give her my son Shelah." And he never had sex with her again.

26Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

27Later, when it was time for Tamar to give birth, she was carrying twins in her womb!

27When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb.

28While she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, so the midwife grabbed it and tied something scarlet around his hand, observing, "This one came out first."

28And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

29As it was, he withdrew his hand, and then his brother was born. Amazed, the midwife cried out loud, "What's this? A breach birth?" So that boy was named Perez.

29But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez.

30Afterwards, his brother came out, and around his hand was the scarlet. So they named him Zerah.

30Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.