17. And he said, “I will send a kid from the goats of the flock.” And she said, “Only if you give a pledge until you send it.”
18. And he said, “What is the pledge that I must give to you?” And she said, “your seal, your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” And he gave them to her and went in to her. And she conceived by him.
19. And she arose and left, and she removed her veil from herself and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20. And Judah sent the kid from the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the hand of the woman, but he could not find her.
21. So he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is that cult prostitute that was at Eynayim by the roadside?” And they said, “There is no cult prostitute here.”
22. Then he returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her. Morever, the men of the place said, ‘There is no cult prostitute here.’ ”
23. And Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be laughed at. Behold, I sent this kid, but you could not find her.”
24. And about three months later it was told to Judah, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the whore, and now, behold, she has conceived by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned.”
25. She was brought out, but she sent to her father-in-law saying, “By the man to whom these belong I have conceived.” And she said, “Now discern to whom these belong: the seal and cord and the staff.”
26. Then Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.
27. And it happened that at the time she gave birth that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28. And it happened that at her labor one child put out a hand. And the midwife took it and tied a crimson thread on his hand saying, “This one came out first.”
29. Then his hand drew back and, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” And she called his name Perez.
30. And afterward his brother who had the crimson thread on his hand came out. And his name was called Zerah.