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Genesis 38 :: New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB95)

Judah and Tamar

Gen 38:1

Gen 38:1And it came about at that time, that Judah [fn]departed from his brothers and [fn]visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

Gen 38:2

Gen 38:2Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her and went in to her.

Gen 38:3

Gen 38:3So she conceived and bore a son and he named him Er.

Gen 38:4

Gen 38:4Then she conceived again and bore a son and named him Onan.

Gen 38:5

Gen 38:5She bore still another son and named him Shelah; and it was at Chezib [fn]that she bore him.

Gen 38:6

Gen 38:6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Gen 38:7

Gen 38:7But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD took his life.

Gen 38:8

Gen 38:8Then 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 [fn]offspring for your brother.”

Gen 38:9

Gen 38:9Onan knew that the [fn]offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother’s wife, he [fn]wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give [fn]offspring to his brother.

Gen 38:10

Gen 38:10But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.

Gen 38:11

Gen 38:11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up”; for he [fn]thought, “I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.

Gen 38:12

Gen 38:12Now [fn]after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when [fn]the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Gen 38:13

Gen 38:13It was told to Tamar, “[fn]Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

Gen 38:14

Gen 38:14So she [fn]removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a [fn]veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of [fn]Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

Gen 38:15

Gen 38:15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.

Gen 38:16

Gen 38:16So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “[fn]Here now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

Gen 38:17

Gen 38:17He said, therefore, “I will send you a [fn]young goat from the flock.” She said, moreover, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?”

Gen 38:18

Gen 38:18He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him.

Gen 38:19

Gen 38:19Then she arose and departed, and [fn]removed her [fn]veil and put on her widow’s garments.

Gen 38:20

Gen 38:20When Judah sent the [fn]young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her.

Gen 38:21

Gen 38:21He asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.”

Gen 38:22

Gen 38:22So he returned to Judah, and said, “I did not find her; and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no temple prostitute here.’”

Gen 38:23

Gen 38:23Then Judah said, “Let her [fn]keep them, otherwise we will become a laughingstock. [fn]After all, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”

Gen 38:24

Gen 38:24Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “[fn]Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”

Gen 38:25

Gen 38:25It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?”

Gen 38:26

Gen 38:26Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not [fn]have relations with her again.

Gen 38:27

Gen 38:27It came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb.

Gen 38:28

Gen 38:28Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”

Gen 38:29

Gen 38:29But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named [fn]Perez.

Gen 38:30

Gen 38:30Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named [fn]Zerah.
See the NASB95 Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NASB95 Footnotes
Literally: went down
Literally: turned aside to
Literally: when
Literally: seed
Literally: seed
Literally: spilled on the ground
Literally: said
Literally: the days became many and
Literally: Judah was comforted, he
Literally: saying, Behold
Literally: removed from herself
Or, shawl
In Josh 15:34, Enam
Or, Come, now
Literally: kid of goats
Literally: removed from herself
Or, shawl
Literally: kid of goats by the hand of
Literally: take for herself
Literally: Behold
Literally: saying, Your
Literally: know her yet again
I.e. a breach
I.e. a dawning or brightness
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New American Standard Bible 1995
Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif.
All rights reserved
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For Permission To Quote visit http://www.lockman.org

For more information on this translation, see the NASB95 Preface.

Genesis Chapter 38 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

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