1And at that time, Judah left his brothers, and went down to stay with a certain Adullamite, named Hirah. 2And Judah met there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shua; and he married her, and then slept with her. 3And she conceived, and gave birth to a son; and he named him Er. 4And then she conceived again, and bore another son; and she named him Onan. 5And she conceived yet again, and named this son Shelah. They were living at Chezib when he was born. 6And Judah found a wife, named Tamar, for his firstborn. 7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was exceedingly wicked in the eyes of the LORD; and the LORD took his life. 8And Judah said to Onan, “Go marry your brother's wife, and raise up seed (offspring) to your brother.” 9And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and when he went in unto his brother, Er's wife, he spilled it on the ground, rather than give seed to his brother. 10And that displeased the LORD: therefore, He took his life, also. 11Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter in law, “Remain a widow at your father's house, till Shelah, my son, has grown;” for he thought, “He may die also, as his brothers did.” And Tamar went back to live in her father's house.

12And years later, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died; and after Judah had mourned, he and his friend, Hirah, the Adullamite, went up to Timnah, to his sheepshearers. 13And Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14And she removed her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil, and dressed herself up, and sat in an open place along the road to Timnah; for she was aware that Shelah was grown, and she had not been given to him as his wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot; because she had covered her face. 16And he went over to her by the roadside, and propositioned her: “Come, now, let me sleep with you” (for he did not realize that she was his daughter in law). And she said, “What will you give me to sleep with you?” 17And he said, “I will send you a kid from the flock.” And she said, “Will you give me something as a pledge, until you send it?” 18And he said, “What pledge should I give you?” And she said, “Your signet, your bracelets, and your staff.” And he gave them to her, and had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant by him.

19And she returned home, and set aside her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes. 20And Judah sent the kid by his friend, the Adullamite, to retrieve his pledge from the woman; but his friend could not find her. 21Then he asked the men around there, “Where is the harlot, that sat openly by the road side?” And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.” 22So he returned to Judah, and said, “I could not find her; and the men of the place also said that there was no harlot in this place.” 23And Judah said, “Let her keep the pledges, or we will be shamed. After all, I sent her this kid, and you did not find her.”

24And then, about three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter in law, has played the harlot; and she is also with child by harlotry.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned to death.” 25When she was brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law, saying, “It is by the man who owns these, that I am with child;” and she added, “See if you can recognize whose the signet, bracelets, and staff these are.” 26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She has been more righteous than I; because I failed to give her to Shelah, my son.” And he slept with her no more.

27And in the time of her delivery, twin boys were in her womb. 28And as she was giving birth, the one put out his hand: and the midwife tied a scarlet thread upon his wrist, saying, “This came out first.” 29And, as he drew his hand back in, his brother came out: and she said, “How did you break out first?” Therefore, his name was called Perez (breach). 30And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his wrist; and he was named Zerah (rising – because he attempted to be first).