Genesis 38:1-9 ▼

1 Now it happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her.

3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er.

4 Then she conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan.

5 And she bore still another son, and she named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib that she bore him.

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

7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so Yahweh put him to death.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up a seed for your brother.”

9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it happened that when he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted it on the ground in order not to give seed to his brother.