20. When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get back the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.
21. He asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim? ”“There has been no cult prostitute here,” they answered.
22. So the Adullamite returned to Judah, saying, “I couldn’t find her, and furthermore, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’ ”
23. Judah replied, “Let her keep the items for herself; otherwise we will become a laughingstock. After all, I did send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”
24. About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law, Tamar, has been acting like a prostitute, and now she is pregnant.”“Bring her out! ” Judah said. “Let her be burned to death! ”
25. As she was being brought out, she sent her father-in-law this message: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Examine them. Whose signet ring, cord, and staff are these? ”
26. Judah recognized them and said, “She is more in the right than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her intimately again.
27. When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.
28. As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand, and the midwife took it and tied a scarlet thread around it, announcing, “This one came out first.”
29. But then he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out. Then she said, “You have broken out first! ” So he was named Perez.
30. Then his brother, who had the scarlet thread tied to his hand, came out, and was named Zerah.