Liber Genesis, 38

1. Eo tempore descendens Iudas a fratribus suis divertit ad virum Odollamitem nomine Hiram.

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

2. Viditque ibi filiam hominis Chananaei vocabulo Sue et, accepta uxore, ingressus est ad eam.

2. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; he married her and went in to her,

3. Quae concepit et peperit filium vocavitque nomen eius Her.

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

4. Rursumque concepto fetu, natum filium nominavit Onan.

4. Again she conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

5. Tertium quoque peperit, quem appellavit Sela. Ipsa autem erat in Chasib, quando peperit illum.

5. Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. She was in Chezib when she bore him.

6. Dedit autem Iudas uxorem primogenito suo Her nomine Thamar.

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

7. Fuit quoque Her primogenitus Iudae nequam in conspectu Domini, et ab eo occisus est.

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

8. Dixit ergo Iudas ad Onan: “Ingredere ad uxorem fratris tui et sociare illi, ut suscites semen fratri tuo”.

8. Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

9. Ille, sciens non sibi nasci hunc filium, introiens ad uxorem fratris sui semen fundebat in terram, ne proles fratris nomine nasceretur.

9. But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife he spilled the semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.

10. Et idcirco occidit et eum Dominus, quod rem detestabilem fecerat.

10. And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him also.

11. Quam ob rem dixit Iudas Thamar nurui suae: “Esto vidua in domo patris tui, donec crescat Sela filius meus”. Timebat, enim, ne et ipse moreretur sicut fratres eius. Quae abiit et habitavit in domo patris sui.

11. Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow in your father's house, till Shelah my son grows up" -- for he feared that he would die, like his brothers. So Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

12. Evolutis autem multis diebus, mortua est filia Sue uxor Iudae. Qui, post luctum consolatione suscepta, ascendebat ad tonsores ovium suarum ipse et Hiras amicus suus Odollamites in Thamnam.

12. In course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died; and when Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13. Nuntiatumque est Thamar quod socer illius ascenderet in Thamnam ad tondendas oves.

13. And when Tamar was told, "Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,"

14. Quae, depositis viduitatis vestibus, cooperuit se velo et, mutato habitu, sedit in porta Enaim in via, quae ducit Thamnam; eo quod crevisset Sela, et non eum accepisset maritum.

14. she put off her widow's garments, and put on a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.

15. Quam cum vidisset Iudas, suspicatus est esse meretricem; operuerat enim vultum suum.

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

16. Declinansque ad eam in via ait: “Veni, coeam tecum”; nesciebat enim quod nurus sua esset. Qua respondente: “Quid mihi dabis, ut fruaris concubitu meo?”,

16. He went over to her at the road side, and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"

17. dixit: “Mittam tibi haedum de gregibus”. Rursum illa dicente: “Si dederis mihi arrabonem, donec mittas illum”,

17. He answered, "I will send you a kid from the flock." And she said, "Will you give me a pledge, till you send it?"

18. ait Iudas: “Quid vis tibi pro arrabone dari?”. Respondit: “Sigillum tuum et funiculum et baculum, quem manu tenes”. Et dedit ei. In coitu cum eo mulier concepit

18. He said, "What pledge shall I give you?" She replied, "Your signet 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.

19. et surgens abiit; depositoque velo, induta est viduitatis vestibus.

19. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

20. Misit autem Iudas haedum per amicum suum Odollamitem, ut reciperet pignus, quod dederat mulieri. Qui cum non invenisset eam,

20. When Judah sent the kid by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand, he could not find her.

21. interrogavit homines loci illius: “Ubi est meretrix, quae sedebat in Enaim in via?”. Respondentibus cunctis: “Non fuit in loco isto meretrix”,

21. And he asked the men of the place, "Where is the harlot who was at Enaim by the wayside?" And they said, "No harlot has been here."

22. reversus est ad Iudam et dixit ei: “Non inveni eam; sed et homines loci illius dixerunt mihi numquam ibi sedisse scortum”.

22. So he returned to Judah, and said, "I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, `No harlot has been here.'"

23. Ait Iudas: “Habeat sibi; ne simus in ludibrium. Ego misi haedum, quem promiseram, et tu non invenisti eam”.

23. And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, lest we be laughed at; you see, I sent this kid, and you could not find her."

24. Ecce autem post tres menses nuntiaverunt Iudae dicentes: “Fornicata est Thamar nurus tua et gravida est ex fornicatione”. Dixitque Iudas: “Producite eam, ut comburatur”.

24. About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; and moreover she is with child by harlotry." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."

25. Quae cum educeretur ad poenam, misit ad socerum suum dicens: “De viro, cuius haec sunt, concepi; cognosce cuius sit sigillum et funiculus et baculus”.

25. As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am with child." And she said, "Mark, I pray you, whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff."

26. Qui, agnitis pignoribus, ait: “Iustior me est, quia non tradidi eam Sela filio meo”. Attamen ultra non cognovit illam.

26. Then Judah acknowledged them and said, "She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not lie with her again.

27. Instante autem partu, apparuerunt gemini in utero; atque in ipsa effusione infantium unus protulit manum, in qua obstetrix ligavit coccinum dicens:

27. When the time of her delivery came, there were twins in her womb.

28. “Iste egressus est prior”.

28. And when she was in labor, one put out a hand; and the midwife took and bound on his hand a scarlet thread, saying, "This came out first."

29. Illo vero retrahente manum, egressus est frater eius; dixitque mulier: “Qualem rupisti tibi rupturam?”. Et ob hanc causam vocatum est nomen eius Phares (id est Ruptura).

29. But as he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out; and she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" Therefore his name was called Perez.

30. Postea egressus est frater eius, in cuius manu erat coccinum; qui appellatus est Zara (id est Ortus solis).

30. Afterward his brother came out with the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zerah.