1And it happened at that time, that Judah went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to her. 3And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er. 4And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan. 5And she once again bore a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him. 6And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar. 7And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of Yehovah; and Yehovah slew him. 8And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother. 9And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. 10And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Yehovah: and he slew him also. 11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son has grown up; for he said, Lest he also die, like his brothers. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house. 12And in the course of time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear his sheep. 14And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as wife. 15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a prostitute; for she had covered her face. 16And he turned to her by the way, and said, Come, please let me come in to you: for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me, that you may come in to me? 17And he said, I will send you a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Will you give me a pledge, till you send it? 18And he said, What pledge shall I give you? And she said, Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand. And he gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him. 19And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand: but he did not find her. 21Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, who was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There has been no prostitute here. 22And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, There has been no prostitute here. 23And Judah said, Let her keep it for herself, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and you have not found her. 24And it happened about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the prostitute; and moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 25When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man, whose these are, I am with child: and she said, Please discern whose these are, the signet, and the cords, and the staff. 26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. 27And it happened in the time of her labor, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28And it happened, when she was in labor, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. 29And it happened, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, Why have you made a breach for yourself? therefore his name was called Perez. 30And afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zerah.