¹ And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

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

³ And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er.

⁴ And she conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan.

⁵ And she yet again conceived, and bore a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.

⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Tamar.

⁷ And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

⁸ And Judah said to Onan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

⁹ And Onan knew that the seed would not be his: and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother's wife, that he frustrated the purpose, lest he should give seed to his brother.

¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

¹¹ Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son shall be grown; (for he said, Lest perhaps he die also as his brethren did:) and Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

¹² And in process of time, the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died: and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep-shearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

¹³ And it was told to Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnath, to shear his sheep.

¹⁴ And she put off from her, her widow's garments, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath: for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him for a wife.

¹⁵ When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; because she had covered her face.

¹⁶ And he turned to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me have access to thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law:) and she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayst have access to me?

¹⁷ And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock: and she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou sendest it?

¹⁸ And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? and she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thy hand: and he gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.

¹⁹ And she arose and went her way and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

²⁰ And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

²¹ Then he asked the men of that place, saying, where is the harlot that was openly by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot in this place.

²² And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

²³ And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

²⁴ And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told to Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold she is with child by lewdness: and Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

²⁵ When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.

²⁶ And Judah acknowledged them, and said She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son: and he knew her again no more.

²⁷ And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that behold, twins were in her womb.

²⁸ And it came to pass when she travailed, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

²⁹ And it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

³⁰ And afterwards came out his brother that had the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zarah.

¹² And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron, and Hamul.

⁶ "Let Reuben live, and not die; Nor let his men be few."

⁷ This is [the blessing] of Judah: and he said, "Hear, Yahweh, the voice of Judah. Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself. You shall be a help against his adversaries."

⁸ Of Levi he said, "Your Thummim and your Urim are with your godly one, whom you proved at Massah, with whom you strove at the waters of Meribah;

⁹ who said of his father, and of his mother, 'I have not seen him;' Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, Nor did he know his own children: For they have observed your word, and keep your covenant.

¹⁰ They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.

¹¹ Yahweh, bless his substance. Accept the work of his hands. Strike through the hips of those who rise up against him, of those who hate him, that they not rise again."

¹² Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of Yahweh shall dwell in safety by him. He covers him all the day long. He dwells between his shoulders."

¹³ Of Joseph he said, "His land is blessed by Yahweh, for the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, for the deep that couches beneath,

¹⁴ for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, for the precious things of the growth of the moons,

¹⁵ for the chief things of the ancient mountains, for the precious things of the everlasting hills,

¹⁶ for the precious things of the earth and its fullness, the good will of him who lived in the bush. Let [the blessing] come on the head of Joseph, On the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

¹⁷ The firstborn of his herd, majesty is his. His horns are the horns of the wild ox. With them he shall push the peoples all of them, [even] the ends of the earth: They are the ten thousands of Ephraim. They are the thousands of Manasseh."

¹⁸ Of Zebulun he said, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.

¹⁹ They shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand."

²⁰ Of Gad he said, "He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.

²¹ He provided the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver's portion reserved. He came [with] the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel."

²² Of Dan he said, "Dan is a lion's cub that leaps out of Bashan."

²³ Of Naphtali he said, "Naphtali, satisfied with favor, full of the blessing of Yahweh, Possess the west and the south."

²⁴ Of Asher he said, "Asher is blessed with children. Let him be acceptable to his brothers. Let him dip his foot in oil.