Thomson(i)
1 Now at that time Judas went down from his brothers and came to a certain Odollamite whose name was Eiras.
2 And Judas saw there a daughter of a Chananite, her name was Sava. And he took her and went in unto her
3 and she conceived and bore a son and called his name Er.
4 And she conceived again and bore a son and called his name Aunan.
5 And she bore another son and called his name Selom. Now she was at Chasbi when she bore them.
6 And for Er his first born Judas took a wife whose name was Thamar.
7 But Er the first born of Judas was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and God slew him.
8 Whereupon Judas said to Aunan, Go in unto thy brother's wife and be a husband to her and raise up a seed for thy brother.
9 But when Aunan knew that the seed would not be his, it came to pass that when he went in unto his brother's wife he shed it on the ground; that he might not give seed to his brother.
10 And it appeared evil in the sight of God that he had done this, therefore he caused him also to die.
11 Then Judas said to Thamar his daughter in law, Continue a widow in thy father's house till my son Selom grow up. For he said, Peradventure he also may die as his brothers did. So Thamar went and dwelt at her father's house.
12 But the time was prolonged and Sava the wife of Judas died. And when Judas was comforted he went up to his sheep shearers, he and his shepherd Eiras the Odollamite, to Thamna.
13 And it was told Thamar his daughter in law saying, Lo! thy father in law is going up to Thamna to shear his sheep.
14 Whereupon she put off the robes of her widowhood and put on a veil and adorned herself and sat near the gates of Ainan in the way to Thamna. For she saw that Selom was grown up and that he had not given her to him for a wife.
15 And when Judas saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face
16 and he did not know her. So he turned aside to her and said to her, Let me come in unto thee. For he did not know that she was his daughter in law. And she said, What wilt thou give me if thou come in unto me?
17 To which he replied, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy ring and bracelet and the staff in thy hand. So he gave them to her, and went in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19 Then she arose and went away, and took off her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judas sent the kid of the goats by the hands of his shepherd the Odollamite to receive from the woman the pledge.
21 But he not finding her asked the men of the place, Where is the harlot that was at Ainan by the way side? And they said, There was not a harlot there.
22 Thereupon he returned to Judas and said, I have not found her. And the men of the place said there was not a harlot there.
23 Then Judas said, Let her keep them. But perhaps we may be laughed at. I indeed sent the kid. Thou however hast not found her.
24 Now after three months it was told Judas saying, Thamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot, and lo! she is with child by her whoredom. Whereupon Judas said, Bring her out and let her be burned.
25 And when she was brought out she sent to her father in law saying, By the man to whom these belong I am with child. Moreover she said, Examine, whose is this ring and this bracelet and this staff?
26 And Judas acknowledged them and said, Thamar hath more justice on her side than I, because I did not give her to my son Selom. And he proceeded no more to have knowledge of her.
27 And when the time of her delivery came she had twins.
28 And when she was in child birth, one put forth its hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread about its hand, saying, This will be the first born.
29 But when it had drawn back its hand, his brother immediately came forth. Whereupon she said, What! Hath there been a breach made for thee? So she called his name Phares.
30 And after this his brother came forth, on whose hand was the scarlet thread. So she called his name Zara.