- And it came to pass at that time that
Judas went down from his brethren, and
came as far as to a certain man of Odollam,
whose name was Iras.
- And Judas saw there
the daughter of a Chananitish man, whose
name was Sava; and he took her, and went
in to her.
- And she conceived and bore a
son, and called his name, Er.
- And she conceived and bore a
son again; and called his
name, Aunan.
- And she again bore a son;
and called his name, Selom: and she was in
Chasbi when she bore them.
- And Judas
took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name
was Thamar.
- And Er, the first-born of
Judas, was wicked before the Lord; and God
killed him.
- And Judas said to Aunan, Go
in to thy brother's wife, and marry her as
her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy
brother.
- And Aunan, knowing that the
seed should not be his -- it came to pass
when he went in to his brother's wife, that
he spilled it upon the ground, so that he
should not give seed to his brother's wife.
- And his doing this appeared evil before
God; and he slew him also.
- And Judas said to Thamar, his daughter-in-law,
Sit thou a widow in the house of
thy father-in-law, until Selom my son be
grown; for he said, lest he also die as his
brethren; and Thamar departed, and sat in
the house of her father.
- And the days
were fulfilled, and Sava the wife of Judas
died; and Judas, being comforted, went to
them that sheared his sheep, himself and
Iras his Shepherd the Odollamite, to
Thamna.
- And it was told Thamar his
daughter-in-law, saying, Behold, thy father-in-law
goeth up to Thamna, to shear his
sheep.
- And having taken off the garments
of her widowhood from her, she put on a
veil, and ornamented her face, and sat by
the gates of Aenan, which is in the way to
Thamna, for she saw that Selom was grown;
but he gave her not to him for a wife.
- And when Judas saw her, he thought her to
be a harlot; for she covered her face, and he
knew her not.
- And he went out of his
way to her, and said to her, Let me come in
to thee; for he knew not that she was his
daughter-in-law; and she said, What wilt
thou give me if thou shouldest come in to
me?
- And he said, I will send thee a kid
of the goats from my flock; and she said,
Well, if thou wilt give me an earnest, until
thou send it.
- And he said, What is the
earnest that I shall give thee? and she said,
Thy ring, and thy bracelet, and the staff
in thy hand; and he gave them to her, and
went in to her, and she conceived by him.
- And she arose and departed, and took her
veil from off her, and put on the garments
of her widowhood.
- And Judas sent the
kid of the goats by the hand of his shepherd
the Odollamite, to receive the pledge from
the woman; and he found her not.
- And
he asked the men of the place, Where is the
harlot who was in Aenan by the way-side?
and they said, There was no harlot here.
- And he returned to Judas, and said, I
have not found her; and the men of the
place say, There is no harlot here.
- And
Judas said, Let her have them, but let us
not be ridiculed; I sent this kid, but thou
hast not found her.
- And it came to pass
after three months, that it was told Judas,
saying, Thamar thy daughter-in-law has
grievously played the harlot, and behold she
is with child by whoredom; and Judas said,
Bring her out, and let her be burnt.
- And
as they were bringing her, she sent to her
father-in-law, saying, I am with child by the
man whose these things are; and she said,
See whose is this ring and bracelet and
staff.
- And Judas knew them, and said,
Thamar is cleared rather than I, forasmuch
as I gave her not to Selom my son: and he
knew her not again.
- And it came to pass
when she was in labour, that she also had
twins in her womb.
- And it came to pass
as she was bringing forth, one thrust forth
his hand, and the midwife having taken
hold of it, bound upon his hand a scarlet
thread, saying, This one shall come out first.
- And when he drew back his hand, then
immediately came forth his brother; and
she said, Why has the barrier been cut
through because of thee? and she called his
name, Phares.
- And after this came forth
his brother, on whose hand was the scarlet
thread; and she called his name, Zara.
[English translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee
Brenton (1807-1862) originally published by Samuel Bagster & Sons,
Ltd., London, 1851]