Genesis 38:1-9 ▼

1 About that time, Judah (praised) left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah (a noble family), an Adullamite.

2 There Judah (praised) saw the daughter of a Canaanite (merchants) man named Shua (wealth), and he took her as a wife and slept with her.

3 So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er (awake).

4 Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan (strong).

5 Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah (a petition); it was at Chezib (false) that she gave birth to him.

6 Now Judah (praised) acquired a wife for Er (awake), his firstborn, and her name was Tamar (palm-tree).

7 But Er (awake), Judah’s (praised) firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}; so the LORD put him to death.

8 Then Judah (praised) said to Onan (strong), “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”

9 But Onan (strong) knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.