Genesis 38 Parallel Bible Translations

Genesis 38 ▼
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1 Right about then, Judah left his brothers and went to live with an Adullamite man named Hirah. It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam named Hirah.
2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her, had sexual relations with her, There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He married her and made love to her;
3 and she conceived, bore a son, and named him Er. and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who was named Er.
4 Later, she conceived again, bore another son, and named him Onan. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. She conceived again and gave birth to a son and named him Onan.
5 Then she bore yet another son and named him Shelah. Judah was living in Kezib when she bore him. Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. She gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Kezib that she gave birth to him.
6 Judah found a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7 But the LORD considered Er, Judah's oldest son, to be wicked—so he put him to death. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death.
8 So Judah instructed Onan, |You are to have sexual relations with your dead brother's wife, performing the duty of a brother-in-law with her, and have offspring for your brother.| Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.” 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.”
9 But Onan knew that the offspring wouldn't be his own heir, so whenever he had sexual relations with his brother's wife, he would spill his semen on the ground to avoid fathering offspring for his brother. But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother. 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 The LORD considered what Onan was doing to be evil, so he put him to death, too. And what he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death also. What he did was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death also.
11 After this, Judah told his daughter-in-law Tamar, |Go live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up.| But he was really thinking, |...otherwise, Shelah might die like his brothers.| So Tamar left and lived in her father's house. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, till Shelah my son grows up”—for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and remained in her father’s house. Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household.
12 Some years later, Shua's daughter (that is, Judah's wife) died. As Judah was grieving, he visited the shearers of his flock in Timnah, accompanied by his Adullamite friend Hirah. In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.
13 |Look!| somebody reported to Tamar, |Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to shear his sheep.| And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to shear his sheep,”
14 So she took off her mourning apparel, covered herself with a shawl, and concealed her outward appearance. Then she went out and sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah, because she knew that even though Shelah had grown up, she wasn't being given to him as his wife. she took off her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage. she took off her widow’s clothes, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and then sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that, though Shelah 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, since she had concealed her face. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16 So on the way, he turned aside, approached her, and said, |Come on! Let's have some sex!| But he didn't realize that he was talking to his own daughter-in-law. |What will you give me,| she asked, |in order to have sex with me?| He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.
17 |I'll send you a young goat from the flock,| he responded. But she pressed him, asking, |What security will you put up until you've sent it?| He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” “I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said. “Will you give me something as a pledge until you send it?” she asked.
18 Then he asked, |What pledge do you want me to give you?| |Your signet ring, cord, and the staff in your hand,| she suggested. So he gave them to her, had sex with her, and she became pregnant by him. He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. He said, “What pledge should I give you?” “Your seal and its cord, and the staff in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
19 Then she got up and left. Later, she took off her shawl and put on her mourning clothes. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. After she left, she took off her veil and put on her widow’s clothes again.
20 Later on, Judah sent his Adullamite friend to take her a young goat, intending to retrieve what he had put up as security from the woman, but he could not find her. When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.
21 He asked the men who lived in that area, |Where's that temple prostitute who was sitting alongside the road at Enaim?| But they replied, |There's been no temple prostitute here.| And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said.
22 So he returned to Judah and said, |I haven't found her. Also, the men who are from there said, 'There's been no prostitute here.'| So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” So he went back to Judah and said, “I didn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, ‘There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here.’”
23 Then Judah said, |Let her have those things. Otherwise, we'll become contemptible. I sent this young goat, but you didn't find her.| And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.” Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has, or we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send her this young goat, but you didn’t find her.”
24 Three months later, it was reported to Judah, |Your daughter-in-law Tamar has turned to prostitution! And look! She's pregnant because of it!| |Bring her out,| Judah responded. |Let's burn her to death!| About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”
25 While they were bringing her out, she sent this message to her father-in-law: |I am pregnant by the man to whom these things belong. Furthermore,| she added, |tell me to whom this signet ring, cord, and staff belongs.| As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.”
26 When Judah recognized them, he admitted, |She is more upright than I, because I never did give her my son Shelah.| And he never had sex with her again. Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again. Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.
27 Later, when it was time for Tamar to give birth, she was carrying twins in her womb! When the time of her labor came, there were twins in her womb. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb.
28 While she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, so the midwife grabbed it and tied something scarlet around his hand, observing, |This one came out first.| And when she was in labor, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand; so the midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his wrist and said, “This one came out first.”
29 As it was, he withdrew his hand, and then his brother was born. Amazed, the midwife cried out loud, |What's this? A breach birth?| So that boy was named Perez. But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. And she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” Therefore his name was called Perez. But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, “So this is how you have broken out!” And he was named Perez.
30 Afterwards, his brother came out, and around his hand was the scarlet. So they named him Zerah. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread on his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah.
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