Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was (A)Shua; and he took her as a wife and had relations with her. And she conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him (B)Er. Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and she named him (C)Onan. She gave birth to yet another son and named him (D)Shelah; and it was at Chezib [a]that she gave birth to him.

Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. But (E)Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord took his life. Then Judah said to Onan, “(F)Have relations with your brother’s wife and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a [b]child for your brother.” Now Onan knew that the [c](G)child would not be his; so when he had relations with his brother’s wife, he [d]wasted his seed on the ground so that he would not give [e]a child to his brother. 10 But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He (H)took his life also.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 38:5 Lit when
  2. Genesis 38:8 Lit seed
  3. Genesis 38:9 Lit seed
  4. Genesis 38:9 Lit spilled on the ground
  5. Genesis 38:9 Lit seed

There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua.(A) He married her and made love to her; she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.(B) She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.(C) She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.(D) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.(E) But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;(F) so the Lord put him to death.(G)

Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to raise up offspring for your brother.”(H) But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. 10 What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also.(I)

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