Gênesis 38

Ved den Tid forlod Juda sine Brødre og sluttede sig til en Mand fra Adullam ved Navn Hira.

Der så Juda en Datter af Kana'anæeren Sjua, og han tog hende til Ægte og gik ind til hende.

Hun blev frugtsommelig og fødte en Søn, som hun gav Navnet Er;

siden blev hun frugtsommelig igen og fødte en Søn, som hun gav Navnet Onan;

og hun fødte endnu en Søn, som hun gav Navnet Sjela; da hun fødte ham, var hun i, Kezib.

Juda tog Er, sin førstefødte, en Hustru, der hed Tamar.

Men Er, Judas førstefødte, vakte HERRENs Mishag, derfor lod HERREN ham dø.

Men Onan, som vidste, at Afkommet ikke vilde blive hans, lod, hver Gang han gik ind til sin Svigerinde, sin Sæd spildes på Jorden for ikke at skaffe sin Broder Afkom.

Denne hans Adfærd vakte HERRENs Mishag, derfor lod han også ham dø.

Lang Tid efter døde Judas Hustru, Sjuas Datter; og da Juda var hørt op at sørge over hende, rejste han med sin Ven, Hira fra Adullam, up til dem, der klippede hans Får i Timna.

Og da Tamar fik at vide, at hendes Svigerfader var på Vej op til Fåreklipningen i Timna,

aflagde hun sine Enkeklæder, hyllede sig i et Slør, så det skjulte hende, og satte sig ved indgangen til Enajim ved Vejen til Timna; thi hun så, at hun ikke blev givet Sjela til Ægte, skønt han nu var voksen.

Da nu Juda så hende, troede han, det var en Skøge; hun havde jo tilhyllet sit Ansigt;

Derpå gik hun bort, tog Sløret af og iførte sig sine Enkeklæder.

Imidlertid sendte Juda sin Ven fra Adullam med Gedekiddet for at få Pantet tilbage fra Kvinden; men han fandt hende ikke.

Da Tiden kom, at hun skulde føde, se, da var der Tvillinger i hendes Liv.

Derefter kom Broderen med den røde snor om Hånden frem, og ham kaldte man Zera.

And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name {was} Hirah.

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name {was} Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name {was} Tamar.

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled {it} on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. {displeased...: Heb. was evil in the eyes of the Lord}

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren {did}. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. {in process...: Heb. the days were multiplied}

And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which {is} by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. {an open...: Heb. the door of eyes, or, of Enajim}

When Judah saw her, he thought her {to be} an harlot; because she had covered her face.

And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she {was} his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

And he said, I will send {thee} a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give {me} a pledge, till thou send {it}? {a kid: Heb. a kid of the goats}

And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that {is} in thine hand. And he gave {it} her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive {his} pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where {is} the harlot, that {was} openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this {place}. {openly: or, in Enajim}

And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, {that} there was no harlot in this {place}.

And Judah said, Let her take {it} to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her. {be shamed: Heb. become a contempt}

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she {is} with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

When she {was} brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these {are, am} I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose {are} these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

And Judah acknowledged {them}, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins {were} in her womb.

And it came to pass, when she travailed, that {the one} put out {his} hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? {this} breach {be} upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. {How hast...: or, Wherefore hast thou made this breach against thee?} {Pharez: that is A breach}

And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.