Bible (King James)/Genesis/Chapter 38

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CHAP. XXXVIII.

1 Judah begetteth Er, Onan, and Shelah. 6 Er marrieth Tamar, and dieth. Onan's treſpaſs and death. Tamar ſlayeth for Shelah. 12 She deceiveth Judah; 27 to whom ſhe beareth twins, Pharez and Zarah.

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

2 And Judah ^[2] ſaw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whoſe name was ^[3] Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

3 And ſhe conceived, and bare a ſon; and he called his name ^[4] Er.

4cir. 1727. And ſhe conceived again, and bare a ſon; and ſhe called his name ^[5] Onan.

5 And ſhe yet again conceived, and bare a ſon; and called his name ^[6] Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when ſhe bare him.

6 ¶ And Judah ^[7] took a wife for Er his firſtborn, whoſe name was Tamar.

7 And ^[8] Er, Judah's firſtborn, was wicked in the ſight of the LORD; ^[9] and the LORD ſlew him.

8 And Judah ſaid unto Onan, Go in unto ^[10] thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raiſe up ſeed to thy brother.

9 And Onan knew that the ſeed ſhould not be ^[11] 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.

10 And the thing which he did †† Heb. was evil in the eyes of the LORD. diſpleaſed the LORD: wherefore he ſlew ^[12] him alſo.

11 Then ſaid Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, ^[13] 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 ^[14] in her father's houſe.

12 ¶ And †† Heb. the days were multiplied. in proceſs of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah ^[15] was comforted, and went up unto his ſheepſhearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 And it was told Tamar, ſaying, Behold thy father in law goeth up ^[16] to Timnath to ſhear his ſheep.

14 And ſhe ^[17] put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and ^[18] wrapped herſelf, and ſat in †† Heb. the door of eyes or, of Enajim. an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for ſhe ſaw ^[19] that Shelah was grown, and ſhe was not given unto him to wife.

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

16 And 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?

17 And he ſaid, ^[20] I will ſend thee †† Heb. a kid of the goats. a kid from the flock. And ſhe ſaid, ^[21] Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou ſend it?

18 And he ſaid, What pledge ſhall I give thee? And ſhe ſaid, ^[22] 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.

19 And ſhe aroſe, and went away, and ^[23] laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 And 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.

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

22 And 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.

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

24 And it came to paſs about three months after, that it was told Judah, ſaying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath ^[24] played the harlot; and alſo, behold, ſhe is with child by whoredom. And Judah ſaid, Bring her forth, ^[25] and let her be burnt.

25 When 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, ^[26] Diſcern, I pray thee, whoſe are theſe, ^[27] the ſignet, and bracelets and ſtaff.

26 And Judah ^[28] acknowledged them, and ſaid, ^[29] She hath been more righteous than I; becauſe that ^[30] I gave her not to Shelah my ſon. And he knew her again ^[31] no more.

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

28 And 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.

29 And it came to paſs as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and ſhe ſaid, ‖‖ Or, Wherefore haſt thou made this breach againſt thee? How haſt thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called ‖‖ That is, a breach. ^[32] Pharez.

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

1. ch. 19. 3.
   2 Kings 4. 8.
2. ch. 34. 2.
3. 1 Chron. 2. 3.
4. ch. 46. 12.
   Numb. 26. 19.
5. ch. 46. 12.
   Num. 26. 19.
6. ch. 46. 12.
   Num. 26. 20.
7. ch. 21. 21.
8. ch. 46. 12.
   Num. 26. 19.
9. 1 Chro. 2. 3.
10. Deut. 25. 5.
    Mat. 22. 24.
11. Deut. 25. 6.
12. ch. 46. 12.
    Num. 26. 19.
13. Ruth 1. 13.
14. Lev. 22. 13.
15. 2 Sam. 13. 39.
16. Joſh. 15. 10, 57.
    Judg. 14. 1.
17. Judith 10. 3.
18. Prov. 7. 12.
19. ver. 11. 26.
20. Ezek. 16. 33.
21. ver. 20.
22. ver. 25.
23. ver. 14.
24. Judg. 19. 2.
25. Lev. 21. 9.
    Deut. 22. 21.
26. ch. 37. 32.
27. ver. 18.
28. ch. 37. 33.
29. 1 Sam. 24. 17.
30. ver. 14.
31. Job. 34. 31, 32.
32. ch. 46. 12.
    Num. 26. 20.
    1 Chron. 2. 4.
    Mat. 1. 3.