Judah and Tamar {Genesis 38}
Robin G (#25)
1 Plays

1. Genesis 38:1 (NABRE)
About that time Judah went down, away from his brothers, and pitched his tent near a certain Adullamite named Hirah.
2. Genesis 38:2 (NABRE)
There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he married her, and had intercourse with her.
3. Genesis 38:3 (NABRE)
She conceived and bore a son, whom she named Er.
4. Genesis 38:4 (NABRE)
Again she conceived and bore a son, whom she named Onan.
5. Genesis 38:5 (NABRE)
Then she bore still another son, whom she named Shelah. She was in Chezib when she bore him.
6. Genesis 38:6 (NABRE)
Judah got a wife named Tamar for his firstborn, Er.
7. Genesis 38:7 (NABRE)
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, greatly offended the Lord; so the Lord took his life.
8. Genesis 38:8 (NABRE)
Then Judah said to Onan, “Have intercourse with your brother’s wife, in fulfillment of your duty as brother-in-law, and thus preserve your brother’s line.”
9. Genesis 38:9 (NABRE)
Onan, however, knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid giving offspring to his brother.
10. Genesis 38:10 (NABRE)
What he did greatly offended the Lord, and the Lord took his life too.
11. Genesis 38:11 (NABRE)
Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”—for he feared that Shelah also might die like his brothers. So Tamar went to live in her father’s house.
12. Genesis 38:12 (NABRE)
Time passed, and the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died. After Judah completed the period of mourning, he went up to Timnah, to those who were shearing his sheep, in company with his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13. Genesis 38:13 (NABRE)
Then Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14. Genesis 38:14 (NABRE)
So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a shawl, and having wrapped herself sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she was aware that, although Shelah was now grown up, she had not been given to him in marriage.
15. Genesis 38:15 (NABRE)
When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, since she had covered her face.
16. Genesis 38:16 (NABRE)
So he went over to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me have intercourse with you,” for he did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. She replied, “What will you pay me for letting you have intercourse with me?”
17. Genesis 38:17 (NABRE)
He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” “Very well,” she said, “provided you leave me a pledge until you send it.”
18. Genesis 38:18 (NABRE)
Judah asked, “What pledge should I leave you?” She answered, “Your seal and cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had intercourse with her, and she conceived by him.
19. Genesis 38:19 (NABRE)
After she got up and went away, she took off her shawl and put on her widow’s garments again.
20. Genesis 38:20 (NABRE)
Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to recover the pledge from the woman; but he did not find her.
21. Genesis 38:21 (NABRE)
So he asked the men of that place, “Where is the prostitute, the one by the roadside in Enaim?” But they answered, “No prostitute has been here.”
22. Genesis 38:22 (NABRE)
He went back to Judah and told him, “I did not find her; and besides, the men of the place said, ‘No prostitute has been here.’”
23. Genesis 38:23 (NABRE)
“Let her keep the things,” Judah replied; “otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you did not find her.”
24. Genesis 38:24 (NABRE)
About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has acted like a harlot and now she is pregnant from her harlotry.” Judah said, “Bring her out; let her be burned.”
25. Genesis 38:25 (NABRE)
But as she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “It is by the man to whom these things belong that I am pregnant.” Then she said, “See whose seal and cord and staff these are.”
26. Genesis 38:26 (NABRE)
Judah recognized them and said, “She is in the right rather than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” He had no further sexual relations with her.
27. Genesis 38:27 (NABRE)
When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb.
28. Genesis 38:28 (NABRE)
While she was giving birth, one put out his hand; and the midwife took and tied a crimson thread on his hand, noting, “This one came out first.”
29. Genesis 38:29 (NABRE)
But as he withdrew his hand, his brother came out; and she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was called Perez.
30. Genesis 38:30 (NABRE)
Afterward his brother, who had the crimson thread on his hand, came out; he was called Zerah.

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