1 At that time, Judah {yehudah: tribal patriarch} went down from his brothers and turned aside to an Adullamite {adullami: local inhabitant} man named Hirah.
2 There Judah {Yehudah: son of Jacob} noticed the daughter of a Canaanite {kenaani: local inhabitant} man named Shua, and he took her and went in to her.
3 She conceived {harah: became pregnant}, and she bore a son, and he called his name Er {er: awake/alert}.
4 She conceived again and bore a son {ben: male child}, and she called his name Onan {Onan: enduring strength}.
5 She again bore a son and called his name Shelah. Judah {Yehudah: tribal patriarch} was in Kezib {bikziv: town named Kezib} when she gave birth to him.
6 Judah {Yehudah: Tribal Ancestor} obtained a wife for Er, his firstborn {bekhor: Chief Heir}, and her name was Tamar.
7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge}, and the LORD caused him to die {vayemitehu: executed divine sentence}.
8 Then Judah {Yehudah: tribal patriarch} said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a levirate marriage {yabem: brother-in-law duty} so that you raise up offspring for your brother.”
9 Onan knew that the seed {zera: line of descendants} would not be his, and whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted it on the ground so that he would not give offspring to his brother {achiv: clan duty}.
10 What he did was evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge}, and so He put him to death {vayamet: executed by divine judgment}.
11 And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain as a widow {almanah: bereaved wife} in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up,” for he said, “So that he will not die too, like his brothers {pen: feared outcome}.” So Tamar went and stayed in her father’s house.
12 After many days, the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died. When Judah {Yehudah: Tribal Ancestor} had been comforted {yin-nachem: After Grief Relief}, he went up to Timnah with Hirah his friend, the Adullamite, to shear his flock.
13 Tamar {tamar: widowed daughter} was told, “Behold {hinneh: urgent announcement}, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flock.”
14 And she removed the garments of her widowhood {almenutah: mourning status} from herself, covered herself with a veil {tsaif: face covering}, wrapped herself, and sat at the entrance of Enaim, on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, yet she had not been given to him as a wife.
15 Judah {Yehudah: tribal ancestor} saw her and considered her a prostitute {zonah: illicit sex worker}, because she had covered her face.
16 He turned aside {vayet: left his path} to her at the roadside and said, “Please now, let me come to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law {kallato: wife of his son}. And she said, “What will you give me, so that you may come to me?”
17 And he said, “I will send a young goat {gedi: small male goat} from the flock,” and she said, “Only if you give a pledge {eravon: security deposit} until you send it.”
18 He said to her, “Which collateral {eravon: binding pledge} should I leave with you?” She replied, “Your signet {chotam: signet of identity}, your cord, and the staff you hold.” He entrusted them to her, he came to her, and she conceived by him.
19 Then she rose, went away, removed her veil {tseifah: outer covering} from herself, and put on the garments of her widowhood {almanutah: mourning apparel}.
20 Then Judah {Yehudah: tribe founder} sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to take the pledge {eravon: security deposit} from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her.
21 And he asked the men of her place {mekomah: her dwelling}, “Where is the sacred prostitute {kedeshah: cult prostitute} who was at Enaim on the road?” And they said, “There has not been any sacred prostitute here.”
22 He returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her, and also the men of the place {makom: local area} said, ‘No sacred prostitute {kedesha: cultic sex-worker} has been here.’”
23 Judah {Yehudah: Tribal Patriarch} said, “Let her keep it, so that we are not held in contempt {lavuz: Public Disgrace}. Look, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”
24 About three months later it was reported to Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed harlotry {zanah: sexual immorality charge}, and moreover, behold, she is pregnant by harlotries.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned {tisaref: severe legal penalty}.”
25 While she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law {cham: husband's father}, saying, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” Then she added, “Please recognize {haker-na: carefully identify} whose seal, cords, and staff these are.”
26 Judah {Yehudah: confessing leader} recognized them and said, “She is more righteous {tsadkah: legally vindicated} than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not continue again to know her.
27 And it happened at the time {be'et: appointed moment} of her giving birth that, behold, there were twins {teomim: dual children} in her womb.
28 As she was giving birth {belidtah: intense labor}, one put out a hand; the midwife took it and tied a scarlet {shani: red-dyed} thread on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.”
29 But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out. Then she said, “What a breach {parets: sudden opening} you have made for yourself {aleikha: directed toward you}!” Therefore he called his name Perez.
30 Afterward his brother came out, the one with the scarlet {hashshani: bright red} on his hand, and he called his name Zerah {zarach: radiant brightness}.