Juda dhe Tamara
1 Në atë kohë Juda u largua nga vëllezërit e banoi pranë Hirahut, një burrë nga Adulamia. 2 Aty, Juda pa bijën e një kananiti që quhej Shua. E mori e fjeti me të. 3 Ajo mbeti shtatzënë e lindi një djalë që ai e quajti Er. 4 Ajo mbeti përsëri shtatzënë e lindi një djalë që e quajti Onan. 5 Ajo lindi edhe një djalë tjetër që e quajti Shelah. Kur ndodhi kjo, Juda ishte në Kezib. 6 Juda i gjeti një grua Erit, të parëlindurit. Ajo quhej Tamarë. 7 Por Eri, i parëlinduri i Judës, ishte i lig para Zotit dhe Zoti e vrau. 8 Atëherë Juda i tha Onanit: «Fli me gruan e tët vëllai e martohu me të, si kunat që je, që ta mbash gjallë farën e vëllait tënd». 9 Por Onani e dinte që fëmijët nuk do të njiheshin si të tijtë, prandaj sa herë që flinte me gruan e të vëllait e derdhte farën përtokë, që të mos e mbante gjallë farën e të vëllait. 10 Kjo gjë ishte e ligë para Zotit, prandaj Zoti e vrau edhe Onanin. 11 Atëherë Juda i tha Tamarës, të resë: «Rri si vejushë në shtëpinë e atit tënd derisa të rritet im bir, Shelahu». Sepse kishte frikë se edhe ky do t'i vdiste si të tjerët. Kështu, Tamara shkoi e jetoi në shtëpinë e të atit.
12 Pas një kohe të gjatë, vdiq gruaja e Judës, bija e Shuaut. Kur mbaruan ditët e zisë, Juda bashkë me mikun e tij, Hirahun nga Adulamia, shkuan në Timnah te qethësit e dhenve. 13 Tamarën e lajmëruan që vjehrri i saj po shkonte në Timnah për të qethur dhentë. 14 Ajo hoqi rrobat e vejërisë, u mbulua me një vel, u mbështoll e tëra dhe u ul në hyrje të Enaimit që ishte rrugës për në Timnah. E bëri këtë, sepse kishte parë që Shelahu ishte rritur, por nuk ia kishin dhënë për burrë. 15 Juda e pa dhe e kujtoi për lavire, se ajo e kishte fytyrën të mbuluar. 16 Ai iu afrua buzë rrugës e i tha: «Eja të flemë bashkë!», sepse nuk e dinte se ishte e reja e tij. Ajo i tha: «Çfarë do të më japësh që të flesh me mua?». 17 Ai iu përgjigj: «Do të të çoj një kec nga kopeja». Ajo tha: «Vetëm nëse më jep një peng derisa të ma dërgosh». 18 Ai i tha: «Çfarë pengu do që të të jap?». Ajo i tha: «Vulën, varësen dhe shkopin që ke në dorë». Ai ia dha. Fjeti me të e ajo mbeti shtatzënë. 19 Pastaj Tamara u ngrit e u largua. Hoqi velin e veshi rrobat e vejërisë.
20 Juda ia çoi kecin përmes mikut nga Adulamia që t'i merrte pengun, por ai nuk e gjeti. 21 I pyeti vendasit: «Ku është lavirja e kultit që rrinte në Enaim, pranë rrugës?». Ata i thanë: «Këtu nuk ka pasur lavire kulti». 22 Pastaj u kthye te Juda e i tha: «Nuk e gjeta dhe vendasit më thanë se aty nuk ka pasur lavire kulti». 23 Atëherë Juda tha: «Le ta mbajë pengun, përndryshe do të bëhemi gazi i botës. Ja, unë ia çova kecin, por ti nuk e gjete».
24 Pas tre muajsh e lajmëruan Judën e i thanë: «Tamara, e reja jote, është bërë lavire e ka mbetur shtatzënë». Atëherë Juda tha: «Nxirreni jashtë e digjeni!». 25 Kur po e nxirrnin jashtë, ajo dërgoi njerëz te i vjehrri për t'i thënë: «Burri, të cilit i përkasin këto, më la me barrë. Shiko mirë! E kujt është kjo vulë, kjo varëse e ky shkop?». 26 Juda i njohu e tha: «Tamara është më e drejtë se unë, sepse nuk i dhashë Shelahun, tim bir». Ai nuk fjeti më me të.
27 Kur erdhi koha për të lindur, ajo lindi binjakë. 28 Gjatë lindjes njëri nga binjakët nxori dorën. Mamia ia kapi dorën dhe i lidhi një fije të kuqe e tha: «Ky doli i pari». 29 Por sapo ky e tërhoqi brenda dorën, doli i vëllai. Atëherë ajo tha: «Si çave përpara ti!». Prandaj u quajt Perec. 30 Pastaj doli i vëllai, në dorën e të cilit ishte fija e kuqe. Ky u quajt Zerah.
1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. 6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. 8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did . And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
12 ¶ And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14 And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? 17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it ? 18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place . 22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place . 23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24 ¶ And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. 26 And Judah acknowledged them , and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
27 ¶ And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. 30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.