7. But Er was very evil, and the Lord took his life.
8. So Judah told Onan, “It's your duty to marry Tamar and have a child for your brother.”
9. Onan knew the child would not be his, and when he had sex with Tamar, he made sure that she would not get pregnant.
10. The Lord wasn't pleased with Onan and took his life too.
11. Judah did not want the same thing to happen to his son Shelah, and he told Tamar, “Go home to your father and live there as a widow until my son Shelah is grown up.” So Tamar went to live with her father.
12. Some years later Judah's wife died, and he mourned for her. He then went with his friend Hirah to the town of Timnah, where his sheep were being sheared.
13. Tamar found out that her father-in-law Judah was going to Timnah to shear his sheep.
14. She also realized that Shelah was now a grown man, but she had not been allowed to marry him. So she decided to dress in something other than her widow's clothes and to cover her face with a veil. After this, she sat outside the town of Enaim on the road to Timnah.
15. When Judah came along, he did not recognize her because of the veil. He thought she was a prostitute
16. and asked her to sleep with him. She asked, “What will you give me if I do?”
17. “One of my young goats,” he answered.“What will you give me to keep until you send the goat?” she asked.
18. “What do you want?” he asked in return.“The ring on that cord around your neck,” was her reply. “I also want the special walking stick you have with you.” He gave them to her, they slept together, and she became pregnant.
19. After returning home, Tamar took off the veil and dressed in her widow's clothes again.
20. Judah sent his friend Hirah to take a goat to the woman, so he could get back the ring and walking stick, but she wasn't there.
21. Hirah asked the people of Enaim, “Where is the prostitute who sat along the road outside your town?”“There's never been one here,” they answered.