8. Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and have physical relations with your dead brother’s wife. It is your duty to provide children for your brother in this way.”
9. But Onan knew that the children would not belong to him. Onan was supposed to have physical relations with Tamar. But he did not complete the physical act. This made it impossible for Tamar to become pregnant. So Er could not have descendants.
10. The Lord was displeased by this wicked thing Onan had done. So the Lord killed Onan also.
11. Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Go back to live in your father’s house. And don’t marry until my young son Shelah grows up.” Judah was afraid that Shelah also would die like his brothers. So Tamar returned to her father’s home.
12. After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah had gotten over his sorrow, he went to Timnah. He went to his men who were cutting the wool from his sheep. His friend Hirah from Adullam went with him.
13. Tamar learned that Judah, her father-in-law, was going to Timnah to cut the wool from his sheep.
14. So she took off the clothes that showed she was a widow. Then she covered her face with a veil to hide who she was. She sat down by the gate of Enaim. It was on the road to Timnah. She did this because Judah’s younger son Shelah had grown up. But Judah had not made plans for her to marry him.
15. When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute. This was because she had covered her face with a veil.
16. So Judah went to her and said, “Let me have physical relations with you.” He did not know that she was Tamar, his daughter-in-law.She asked, “What will you give me if I let you have physical relations with me?”
17. Judah answered, “I will send you a young goat from my flock.”She answered, “First give me something to keep as a deposit until you send the goat.”
18. Judah asked, “What do you want me to give you as a deposit?”Tamar answered, “Give me your seal and its cord, and give me your walking stick.” So Judah gave these things to her. Then Judah and Tamar had physical relations, and Tamar became pregnant.
19. Tamar went home. She took off the veil that covered her face. And she put on the clothes that showed she was a widow.
20. Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat. Judah told Hirah to find the woman and get back his seal and the walking stick he had given her. But Hirah could not find her.
21. Hirah asked some of the men at the town of Enaim, “Where is the prostitute who was here by the road?”The men answered, “There has never been a prostitute here.”
22. So he went back to Judah and said, “I could not find the woman. The men who lived there said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”
23. Judah said, “Let her keep the things. I don’t want people to laugh at us. I sent her the goat as I promised. But you could not find her.”