Genesis 38 – NIRV & LCB

New International Reader’s Version

Genesis 38:1-30

Judah and Tamar

1At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went down to stay with a man named Hirah from the town of Adullam. 2There Judah met the daughter of a man from Canaan. His name was Shua. Judah married her and slept with her. 3She became pregnant and had a son. They named him Er. 4She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan. 5She had still another son. She named him Shelah. He was born at Kezib.

6Judah got a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar. 7But Judah’s oldest son Er was evil in the Lord’s eyes. So the Lord put him to death.

8Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. After all, you are her brother-in-law. So carry out your duty to her. Provide children for your brother.” 9But Onan knew that the children wouldn’t belong to him. So every time he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground. He did it so he wouldn’t provide children for his brother. 10What he did was evil in the Lord’s eyes. So the Lord put him to death also.

11Then Judah spoke to his daughter-in-law Tamar. He said, “Live as a widow in your father’s home. Wait there until my son Shelah grows up.” Judah was thinking, “Shelah might die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s home.

12After a long time Judah’s wife died. She was the daughter of Shua. When Judah got over his sadness, he went up to Timnah. His friend Hirah from Adullam went with him. Men were clipping the wool from Judah’s sheep at Timnah.

13Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is on his way to Timnah to clip the wool from his sheep.” 14So she took off her widow’s clothes. She covered her face with a veil so people wouldn’t know who she was. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim. Enaim is on the road to Timnah. Tamar knew that Shelah had grown up. But she hadn’t been given to him as his wife.

15Judah saw her. He thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face with a veil. 16He didn’t realize that she was his daughter-in-law. He went over to her by the side of the road. He said, “Come. Let me sleep with you.”

“What will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.

17“I’ll send you a young goat from my flock,” he said.

“Will you give me something that belongs to you?” she asked. “I’ll keep it until you send the goat.”

18He said, “What should I give you?”

“Give me your official seal and the string that it hangs from,” she answered. “And give me your walking stick.” So he gave them to her. Then he slept with her. And she became pregnant by him. 19After she left, she took off her veil. She put on her widow’s clothes again.

20Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat he had promised. He wanted to get back what he had given to the woman. But his friend Hirah couldn’t find her. 21He asked the men who lived at Enaim, “Where’s the temple prostitute? She used to sit beside the road here.”

“There hasn’t been any temple prostitute here,” they said.

22So Hirah went back to Judah. He said, “I couldn’t find her. Besides, the men who lived there didn’t know anything about her. They said, ‘There hasn’t been any temple prostitute here.’ ”

23Then Judah said, “Let her keep what she has. I don’t want people making fun of us. After all, I did send her this young goat. We can’t help it if you couldn’t find her.”

24About three months later people brought word to Judah. They said, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of being a prostitute. Now she’s pregnant.”

Judah said, “Bring her out! Have her burned to death!”

25As Tamar was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. She said, “I am pregnant by the man who owns these.” She continued, “Do you recognize this seal and string and walking stick? Do you know who they belong to?”

26Judah recognized them. He said, “She’s a better person than I am. I should have given her to my son Shelah, but I didn’t.” Judah never slept with Tamar again.

27The time came for Tamar to have her baby. There were twin boys inside her. 28As the babies were being born, one of them stuck out his hand. So the woman helping Tamar took a bright red thread. The woman tied it on the baby’s wrist. She said, “This one came out first.” 29But he pulled his hand back, and his brother came out first instead. She said, “Just look at how you have forced your way out!” So he was called Perez. 30Then his brother, who had the red thread on his wrist, came out. So he was named Zerah.

Luganda Contemporary Bible

Olubereberye 38:1-30

1Awo olwatuuka Yuda n’ava ku baganda be n’aserengeta, n’ayingira ew’Omudulamu, erinnya lye, Kira. 238:2 1By 2:3Yuda n’alabayo muwala wa Suwa, Omukanani, n’amuwasa, ne yeetaba naye, 338:3 nny 6; Lub 46:12; Kbl 26:19n’aba olubuto n’azaala omwana owoobulenzi n’amutuuma erinnya Eri. 4Mukyala wa Yuda n’aba olubuto olulala n’azaala omwana omulenzi n’amutuuma Onani. 5Ate n’azaala omwana omulala n’amutuuma Seera. Yamuzaalira mu Kezibu.

6Era Yuda n’awasiza mutabani we omukulu, Eri, omukazi erinnya lye Tamali. 738:7 nny 10; Lub 46:12; 1By 2:3Naye Eri mutabani wa Yuda omukulu n’aba mwonoonyi mu maaso ga Mukama; Mukama n’amutta.

838:8 Ma 25:5-6; Mat 22:24-28Awo Yuda n’agamba Onani nti, “Genda eri muka muganda wo, ofunire muganda wo ezzadde.” 9Naye Onani n’amanya nti ezzadde teririba lirye; bw’atyo bwe yeetaba naye, amannyi n’agafuka wansi aleme okufunira muganda we ezzadde. 1038:10 Lub 46:12; Ma 25:7-10Ekyo kye yakola kyali kibi mu maaso ga Mukama. N’ono Mukama kyeyava amutta.

1138:11 Lus 1:13Awo Yuda olw’okutya nti Seera ayinza okufa nga baganda be, n’agamba Tamali nti, “Ogira obeera nnamwandu, ng’oli mu nnyumba ya kitaawo okutuusa Seera lw’alikula.” Tamali kwe kugenda n’abeera mu nnyumba ya kitaawe.

Yuda ne Tamali

1238:12 nny 14; Yos 15:10, 57Bwe waayitawo ebbanga mukazi wa Yuda, muwala wa Suwa n’afa. Yuda bwe yayita mu kukungubaga, n’agenda ne Kira Omudulamu e Timuna eri basajja be abasazi b’ebyoya by’endiga ze. 13Tamali bwe kyamubuulirwa nti, “Sezaala wo agenda e Timuna okusala ebyoya by’endiga ze,” 1438:14 nny 11n’asuula eri ebyambalo by’obwannamwandu ne yeeteekako ekiremba ne yeebikkirira, n’atuula ku mulyango gwa Enayimu, ekiri ku kkubo ng’ogenda e Timuna. Kubanga yamanya nti, Seera akuze, kyokka nga tamuweereddwa ku muwasa.

15Yuda bwe yamulaba, n’amulowooza okuba omu ku bamalaaya, kubanga yali abisse amaaso ge. 1638:16 Lv 18:15; 20:12N’agenda gy’ali ku mabbali g’ekkubo, n’amugamba nti, “Jjangu, neetabe naawe,” kubanga teyamanya nti ye yali muka mutabani we. Tamali kwe ku mubuuza nti, “Onompa ki bwe neetaba naawe?” 1738:17 a Ez 16:33 b nny 20Yuda n’amuddamu nti, “Nnaakuweereza embuzi ento.” N’amubuuza nti, “Onompa omusingo nga tonnagimpeereza?”

1838:18 nny 25Yuda n’amuddamu nti, “Nkuwe musingo ki?” N’amugamba nti, “Akabonero ko, akajegere ko awamu n’omuggo gwo oguli mu mukono gwo.” Awo n’abimuwa, ne yeetaba naye, n’amufunyisa olubuto. 1938:19 nny 14Tamali n’agolokoka n’agenda, n’aggyako ekiremba n’ayambala ebyambalo by’obwannamwandu bwe.

20Yuda bwe yatuma mukwano gwe Omudulamu, okutwala omwana gw’embuzi, addizibwe omusingo teyalaba ku mukazi. 2138:21 Lv 19:29; Kos 4:14Bwe yabuuliriza ab’omu kifo omwo, omukazi malaaya eyali Enayimu ku mabbali g’ekkubo, ne bamuddamu nti, “Wano tewabeeranga mukazi malaaya.” 22N’alyoka addayo eri Yuda n’amugamba nti takubikako kimunye; era n’abantu ab’ekitundu ekyo bamutegeezeza nti, “Awo tewabangawo mukazi malaaya38:22 malaaya Abakazi abo bamalaaya baalina akakwate ku nzikiriza ya balubaale b’oluzaalo.”

23Yuda kwe kumugamba nti, “Omukazi oli, ebintu k’abisigaze tuleme okusekererwa, naweereza embuzi eno, naye n’atalabikako.”

Perezi ne Zeera Bazaalibwa

2438:24 Lv 21:9; Ma 22:21, 22Emyezi ng’esatu bwe gyayitawo ne bagamba Yuda nti, “Muka mwana wo Tamali yafuuka mwenzi. Ate ebyo nga biri awo obwenzi obwo yabufunamu n’olubuto.” Yuda kwe kwejuumuula nga bw’agamba nti, “Mumuleete ayokebwe.”

2538:25 nny 18Tamali bwe yali atwalibwa n’atumira sezaala we Yuda n’amugamba nti, “Omusajja nannyini bintu bino ye kazaalabulwa. Nkusaba weetegereze ebintu bino: akabonero, akajegere n’omuggo, by’ani?”

2638:26 a 1Sa 24:17 b nny 11Awo Yuda n’abitegeera n’agamba nti, “Omuwala mutuukirivu okunsinga, kubanga saamuwa mutabani wange Seera.” Yuda n’atamuddira.

2738:27 Lub 25:24Ekiseera eky’okuwona bwe kyatuuka n’alabika nga wakuzaala balongo. 28Era bwe yali mu ssanya omulongo omu n’afulumya omukono gwe, omuzaalisa n’agukwata n’agusibako akawuzi akaakakobe nga bw’agamba nti, “Ono y’asoose okujja.” 2938:29 Lub 46:12; Kbl 26:20, 21; Lus 4:12, 18; 1By 2:4; Mat 1:3Naye omulongo bwe yazzaayo omukono gwe munda, muganda we n’afuluma; omuzaalisa n’agamba nti, “Lwaki owaguzza?” Erinnya ly’omwana kyeryava liba Pereezi.38:29 Pereezi yali jjajja wa Dawudi 3038:30 1By 2:4Oluvannyuma muganda we n’afuluma n’akawuzi akaakakobe nga kali ku mukono gwe, n’ayitibwa Zeera.