1. At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went down to stay with a man named Hirah. Hirah was from the town of Adullam.
2. There Judah met the daughter of a man from Canaan. His name was Shua. Judah married her and made love to her.
3. She became pregnant. She had a son. They named him Er.
4. She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan.
5. She had still another son. She named him Shelah. He was born at Kezib.
6. Judah got a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar.
7. But Judah's oldest son Er was evil in the Lord's eyes. So the Lord put him to death.
8. Then Judah said to Onan, "Make love to your brother's wife. After all, you are her brother-in-law. So carry out your duty to her. Produce children for your brother."
9. But Onan knew that the children wouldn't belong to him. So every time he made love to his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground. He did it so he wouldn't produce children for his brother.
10. What he did was evil in the Lord's eyes. So the Lord put him to death also.
11. Then 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.