Judah and Tamar

At that time, Judah went down from his brothers and visited an Adullamite man named Hirah. There he took the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and she bore three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. Later Judah found a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But Er was wicked in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh killed him.

Judah told Onan to perform a brother’s duty for Er by raising up offspring for his dead brother through Tamar. Onan did not want that child to count as his brother’s, and what he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight. Yahweh killed him too. Then Judah told Tamar to live as a widow in her father’s house until Shelah was grown, but Tamar was not given to Shelah.

After many days, Judah’s wife died. When he had been comforted, he went up to Timnah for sheep-shearing with his friend Hirah. Tamar heard he was coming and saw that Shelah was now grown, yet she had not been given to him. So she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil, and sat at Enaim on the way to Timnah. Judah did not recognise her and thought she was a prostitute.

Judah asked to go in to her, promising a young goat from the flock. Tamar asked for a pledge until he sent it, and Judah gave her his signet, its cord, and his staff. She conceived by him, then left, removed her veil, and put her widow’s garments on again. Later Judah sent the young goat by Hirah to get the pledge back, but the woman was not found.

About three months later, Judah was told that Tamar was pregnant by prostitution, and he ordered that she be brought out and burned. As she was brought out, Tamar sent word to her father-in-law: the child belonged to the man who owned the signet, the cords, and the staff. Judah recognised them and said Tamar was more righteous than he was, because he had not given her to Shelah. He did not sleep with her again.

When it was time for Tamar to give birth, twins were in her womb. During the birth, one baby put out a hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread on it, saying that one came out first. But he drew back his hand, and his brother came out first instead. He was named Perez. Afterwards the brother with the scarlet thread was born, and he was named Zerah.