2. There Judah met a Canaanite girl, the daughter of a man named Shua, and married her. Judah had sexual relations with her,
3. and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom Judah named Er.
4. Later she gave birth to another son and named him Onan.
5. Still later she had another son and named him Shelah. She was at Kezib when this third son was born.
6. Judah chose a girl named Tamar to be the wife of his first son Er.
7. But Er, Judah’s oldest son, did what the Lord said was evil, so the Lord killed him.
8. Then Judah said to Er’s brother Onan, “Go and have sexual relations with your dead brother’s wife. It is your duty to provide children for your brother in this way.”
9. But Onan knew that the children would not belong to him, so when he was supposed to have sexual relations with Tamar he did not complete the sex act. This made it impossible for Tamar to become pregnant and for Er to have descendants.
10. The Lord was displeased by this wicked thing Onan had done, so the Lord killed Onan also.
11. Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Go back to live in your father’s house, and don’t marry until my young son Shelah grows up.” Judah was afraid that Shelah also would die like his brothers. So Tamar returned to her father’s home.
12. After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah had gotten over his sorrow, he went to Timnah to his men who were cutting the wool from his sheep. His friend Hirah from Adullam went with him.