Genesis 38
1NOW at that time Juda went down from his brothers and came to a certain Odollamite whose name was Eiras.
2And Judas saw there a daughter of a Chananite, her name was Sava. And he took her and went in unto her
3and she conceived and bore a son and called his name Er.
4And she conceived again and bore a son and called his name Aunan.
5And she bore another son and called his name Selom. Now she was at Chasbi when she bore them.
6And for Er his first born Judas took a wife whose name was Thamar.
7But Er the first-born of Juda was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and God slew him.
8Whereupon Juda said to Aunan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife and be a husband to her and raise up a seed for thy brother.
9But when Aunan knew that the seed would not be his, it came to pass that when he went in unto his brother’s wife he shed it on the ground; that he might not give seed to his brother.
10And it appeared evil in the sight of God that he had done this, therefore he caused him also to die.
11Then Juda said to Thamar his daughter in law, Continue a widow in thy father’s house till my son Selom grow up. For he said, Peradventure he also may die as his brothers did. So Thamar went and dwelt at her father’s house.
12But the time was prolonged and Sava the wife of Juda died. And when Juda was comforted he went up to his sheep shearers, he and his shepherd Eiras the Odollamite, to Thamna.
13And it was told Thamar his daughter-in-law saying, Lo! thy father-in-law is going up to Thamna to shear his sheep.
14Whereupon she put off the robes of her widowhood and put on a veil and adorned herself and sat near the gates of Ainan in the way to Thamna. For she saw that Selom was grown up and that he had not given her to him for a wife.
15And when Juda saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face and he did not know her.
16So he turned aside to her and said to her, Let me come in unto thee. For he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me if thou come in unto me?
17To which he replied, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy ring and bracelet and the staff in thy hand. So he gave them to her, and went in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19Then she arose and went away, and took off her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20And Juda sent the kid of the goats by the hands of his shepherd the Odollamite to receive from the woman the pledge.
21But he not finding her asked the men of the place, Where is the harlot that was at Ainan by the way side? And they said, There was not a harlot there.
22Thereupon he returned to Juda and said, I have not found her. And the men of the place said there was not a harlot there.
23Then Juda said, Let her keep them. But perhaps we may be laughed at. I indeed sent the kid. Thou however hast not found her.
24Now after three months it was told Judas saying, Thamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot, and lo! she is with child by her whoredom. Whereupon Juda said, Bring her out and let her be burned.
25And when she was brought out she sent to her father-in-law saying, By the man to whom these belong I am with child. Moreover she said, Examine, whose is this ring and this bracelet and this staff?
26And Juda acknowledged them and said, Thamar hath more justice on her side than I, because I did not give her to my son Selom. And he proceeded no more to have knowledge of her.
27And when the time of her delivery came she had twins.
28And when she was in childbirth, one put forth his hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread about his hand, saying, This will be the first-born.
29But when it had drawn back its hand, his brother immediately came forth. Whereupon she said, What! Hath there been a breach made for thee? So she called his name Phares.
30And after this his brother came forth, on whose hand was the scarlet thread. So she called his name Zara.