The Holy Ivri Heritage Bible

1And it came to pass at that time that Yehudah went down from his brothers, and came as far as to a certain man of Adullam, whose name was Hirah. 2And Yehudah saw there the daughter of a Kena’anite man, whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to 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 Onan. 5And she again bore a son, and called his name Shelah; and she was in Chezib when she bore them. 6And Yehudah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 7And Er, the firstborn of Yehudah, was wicked before Yahuah; and Elohim killed him. 8And Yehudah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up seed for your brother.” 9And Onan, knowing that the seed would not be his—it came to pass when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled it upon the ground, so that he should not give seed to his brother. 10And his doing this appeared evil before Elohim; and He killed him also. 11And Yehudah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah my son is grown”; for he said, “Lest he also die as his brothers.” And Tamar departed, and sat in her father’s house. 12And the yamim rabbim [many days] were fulfilled, and Shua the wife of Yehudah died; and Yehudah, being comforted, went up to his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnah. 13And it was told to Tamar, saying, “Behold, your father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14And she removed the garments of her widowhood, covered herself with a veil, adorned herself, and sat by the gate of Enayim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, but he had not been given to her as a wife. 15And Yehudah saw her, and thought her to be a harlot (zonah), because she had covered her face, and he did not know her. 16And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, “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 my flock.” And she said, “Only if you give me a pledge until you send it.” 18And he said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your chotam [signet/seal], your fatil [cord], and your matteh [staff] that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19And she arose and departed, and removed her veil, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20And Yehudah 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. 21And he asked the men of the place, saying, “Where is the kedeshah [temple prostitute/harlot] who was at Enayim by the roadside?” And they said, “There has been no harlot here.” 22And he returned to Yehudah, and said, “I did not find her; and the men of the place said, ‘There has been no harlot here.’” 23And Yehudah said, “Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock; I sent this kid, but you did not find her.” 24And it came to pass after three months [Shloshah Chodashim], that it was told to Yehudah, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed zenut [whoredom/played the harlot], and behold, she is with child by whoredom.” And Yehudah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25And as she was being brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these belong.” And she said, “Discern, I pray you, whose are these — the seal, the cord, and the staff.” 26And Yehudah recognized them, and said, “She is more tzadeqah [righteous] than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not know her again. 27And it came to pass, when she was in labor, that she had twins in her womb. 28And it came to pass, as she was giving birth, one put out his hand; and the midwife took and bound a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29And it came to pass, he drew back his hand, and behold, his brother came out; and she said, “How you have broken through!” And she called his name Peretz [Pharez]. 30And afterward his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread; and she called his name Zerah [Zara].