Genesis 38:16-18

International Children’s Bible

¹⁶So Judah went to her and said, “Let me have physical relations with you.” He did not know that she was Tamar, his daughter-in-law.

She asked, “What will you give me if I let you have physical relations with me?”

¹⁷Judah answered, “I will send you a young goat from my flock.”

She answered, “First give me something to keep as a deposit until you send the goat.”

¹⁸Judah asked, “What do you want me to give you as a deposit?”

Tamar answered, “Give me your seal and its cord,^[a] and give me your walking stick.” So Judah gave these things to her. Then Judah and Tamar had physical relations, and Tamar became pregnant.

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Footnotes

38:18 seal . . . cord A seal was used like a rubber stamp. People ran a string through it to tie around the neck. They wrote a contract, folded it, put wax or clay on the contract, and pressed the seal onto it as a signature.