Genesis 38:1-9 ▼

1 About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.

2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, 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.

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

5 Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

6 Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.

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

9 But Onan 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.