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Genesis 38:5-15
Contemporary English Version
Genesis 38:5-15
Contemporary English Version
5 The third one was born when Judah was in Chezib, and she named him Shelah.
6 Later, Judah chose Tamar as a wife for Er, his oldest son. 7 But Er was very evil, and the Lord took his life. 8 So Judah told Onan, “It's your duty to marry Tamar and have a child for your brother.”[a]
9 Onan knew the child would not be his,[b] and when he had sex with Tamar, he made sure that she would not get pregnant. 10 The Lord wasn't pleased with Onan and took his life too.
11 Judah did not want the same thing to happen to his son Shelah, and he told Tamar, “Go home to your father and live there as a widow until my son Shelah is grown.” So Tamar went to live with her father.
12 Some years later Judah's wife died, and he mourned for her. He then went with his friend Hirah to the town of Timnah, where his sheep were being sheared. 13 Tamar found out that her father-in-law Judah was going to Timnah to shear his sheep. 14 She also realized that Shelah was now a grown man, but she had not been allowed to marry him. So she decided to dress in something other than her widow's clothes and to cover her face with a veil. After this, she sat outside the town of Enaim on the road to Timnah.
15 When Judah came along, he did not recognize her because of the veil. He thought she was a prostitute
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 38.8 It's your duty … child … brother: If a man died without having children, his brother was to marry the dead man's wife and have a child, who was to be considered the child of the dead brother (see Deuteronomy 25.5,6).
- 38.9 the child … not be his: When Judah died, Onan would get his dead brother's share of the inheritance, but if his dead brother had a son, the inheritance would go to him instead.
Genesis 38:5-15
New International Version
Genesis 38:5-15
New International Version
5 She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah.(A) It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6 Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.(B) 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight;(C) so the Lord put him to death.(D)
8 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.”(E) 9 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.(F)
11 Judah then said to his daughter-in-law(G) Tamar,(H) “Live as a widow in your father’s household(I) until my son Shelah(J) grows up.”(K) For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.
12 After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua,(L) died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah,(M) to the men who were shearing his sheep,(N) and his friend Hirah the Adullamite(O) went with him.
13 When Tamar(P) was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”(Q) 14 she took off her widow’s clothes,(R) covered herself with a veil(S) to disguise herself, and then sat down(T) at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.(U) For she saw that, though Shelah(V) had now grown up, she had not been given to him as his wife.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute,(W) for she had covered her face.
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