Tamar’s Widowhood

1At that time Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.

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

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

4She conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan.

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

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

7Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and Yahweh put him to death.

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

9But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled it on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his brother.

10What he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so he put him to death also.

11Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up,” for he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” So Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.