Genesis 38:1-9 ▼

1 At that time Judah left his brothers and settled near an Adullamite named Hirah.

2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he took her as a wife and slept with her.

3 She conceived and gave birth to a son, and he named him Er.

4 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and named him Onan.

5 She gave birth to another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

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

7 Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the LORD’s sight, and 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 produce offspring for your brother.”

9 But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his , so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he released his semen on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother.