King James Bible

International Standard Version

1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

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

2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

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

3And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

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

4And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

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

5And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

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

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

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

7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

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

8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

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."

9And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his 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.

10And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

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

11Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

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.

12And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

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.

13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

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

14And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

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.

15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

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

16And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

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?"

17And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

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?"

18And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

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.

19And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

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

20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

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.

21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

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."

22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

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.'"

23And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

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

24And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

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!"

25When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

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."

26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

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.

27And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

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

28And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

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."

29And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

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.

30And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

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

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

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