Old Testament

New Testament

Genesis 38:1-9 New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

1. About that time Judah went down, away from his brothers, and pitched his tent near a certain Adullamite named Hirah.

2. There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua; he married her, and had intercourse with her.

3. She conceived and bore a son, whom she named Er.

4. Again she conceived and bore a son, whom she named Onan.

5. Then she bore still another son, whom she named Shelah. She was in Chezib when she bore him.

6. Judah got a wife named Tamar for his firstborn, Er.

7. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, greatly offended the Lord; so the Lord took his life.

8. Then Judah said to Onan, “Have intercourse with your brother’s wife, in fulfillment of your duty as brother-in-law, and thus preserve your brother’s line.”

9. Onan, however, knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he had intercourse with his brother’s wife, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid giving offspring to his brother.

Read complete chapter Genesis 38