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38
1 And it was at that time that Jehuda went down from his brethren, and turned aside to an Adulamite man whose name was Hira. 2 And Jehuda saw there the daughter of a merchant man whose name was Shuva, and he took her and went in with her; 3 And she conceived and bare a son, and he called his name Her; 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son, and called his name Onan. 5 And she added again, and bare a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was in Kezib when she bare him. 6 And Jehuda took a wife for Her his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 And Her the firstborn of Jehuda was evil before the Lord, and the Lord caused him to die. 8 And Jehuda said to Onan, Go in with the wife of thy brother, and associate with her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that after his name the seed would not be called; and it was that when he went in with the wife of his brother, he corrupted his way upon the earth that he might not raise up seed unto his brother; 10 And what he did was evil before the Lord, and he caused him also to die. 11 And Jehuda said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father’s house until Shelah my son be grown up. For he said, Lest he also die like his brothers: and Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
12 And after many days the daughter of Shuva, Jehuda’s wife, died: and Jehuda was comforted; and he went up to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hira the Adulamite his friend unto Timnath. 13 And it was shown to Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law cometh to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14 And she laid aside the dress of her widowhood, and covered herself with a mantle (or a large veil), and adorned herself, and sat in the dividing of Aynin which is in the way to Timnath. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him for a wife. 15 And Jehuda saw her, and thought that she was an outcast, because she had covered her face. 16 And he declined to her by the way, and said, Give me now to go in unto thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come to me? 17 And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, If thou wilt give me a pledge until thou send. 18 And he said, What is the pledge that I shall give thee? And she said, Thy seal-ring, and thy scarf, and thy staff that is in thy hand. And he gave to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went, and put off the veil from her, and dressed herself in the dress of her widowhood.
20 And Jehuda sent the kid of the goats, by the hand of his friend the Adulamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman; but he could not find her. 21 And he inquired of the men of the place, saying, Where is the harlot who was in Aynin upon the way? And they said to him, There is no harlot here. 22 And he returned to Jehuda, and said, I could not find her; the men of the place also said there is no harlot there. 23 And Jehuda said, Let her take it to her, lest we be in contempt: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24 And it was three months, and it was showed to Jehuda, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath committed fornication, and, behold, she is with child by fornication. And Jehuda said, Bring her out, and let her be burned. 25 And she was brought out. And she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these belong I am with child. And she said, Acknowledge now, whose are these, the seal, the scarf, and the staff? 26 And Jehuda acknowledged and said, She is justified in having conceived from me, because I have not given her Shelah my son. And he added not again to know her.
27 And it was the time of her giving birth, and, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And it was in giving birth that one of them put forth a hand; and the midwife took and tied scarlet upon his hand, saying, This came the first. 29 And it was when he had drawn back his hand that his brother came forth: and she said, How much greater strength is with thee, that thou hast prevailed! And she called his name Pharets. 30 And afterwards came forth his brother who had the crimson on his hand, and she called his name Zarah.

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