The Pledge

12After many days had passed, the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheep shearers—he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13And Tamar was told, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

14So she took off her widow’s garments from herself, and wrapped herself in a veil, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, yet she had not been given to him as a wife.

15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face.

16So he turned aside to her by the road and said, “Please, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

17And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you will give a pledge until you send it.”

18He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” And she said, “Your seal, 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.

19Then she arose and went away, and she removed her veil from upon her and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20Then Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his Adullamite friend to take back the pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her.

21He asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” But they said, “There has been no cult prostitute here.”

22So he returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her, and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’”

23And Judah said, “Let her keep them, lest we become a laughingstock. Look, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.”