Genesis 38:1-9 ▼

1 About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah.

2 There he saw a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua, and he married her. When he slept with her,

3 she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and he named the boy Er.

4 Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, and she named him Onan.

5 And when she gave birth to a third son, she named him Shelah. At the time of Shelah’s birth, they were living at Kezib.

6 In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar.

7 But Er was a wicked man in the LORD’s sight, so the LORD took his life.

8 Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother.”

9 But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother.