Targum Jonathan - Genesis 38 - Vayeshev

Hoofdstuk 38

1 It was at that time that Jehuda had gone down from his property, and separated himself from his brethren, and had inclined to a man an Adullemite whose name was Hira,
2 that Jehudah saw there the daughter of a merchant man whose name was Shuva, and he proselyted her, and entered with her.
3 And she conceived and bare a son, and called his name Er, because he was to die without a child.
4 And she conceived again, and bare a son, and called his name Onan, because his father would have to mourn for him.
5 And she added, and bare a son, and called his name Shela, because her husband had forgotten her and was in cessation when she bare him.
6 And Jehuda took a wife for Er his firstborn, a daughter of Shem the great, whose name was Tamar.
7 But Er the firstborn of Jehuda was evil before the Lord because he had not given his seed unto his wife, and the anger of the Lord prevailed against him, and the Lord slew him.
8 And Jehuda said unto Onan, Enter thou to thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed unto the name of thy brother.
9 And Onan knew that they would not call the children after his name, and it was, when he entered to the wife of his brother, that he corrupted his work upon the earth, that he might not raise up children to his brother's name.
10 And what he did was evil before the Lord and he cut off his days also.
11 And Jehuda said to Tamar his daughter–in–law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Shela my son be grown up. For he said, Lest he also die as his brethren Tamar went and remained in her father's house.
12 And days multiplied and the daughter of Shuva, Jehuda's wife, had died, and Jehuda was comforted. And Jehuda went up to the shearing of his flock, he and Hira his friend the Adullemite, to Timnath.
13 And it was told to Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father–in–law cometh up to Timnath to shear his flock.
14 And she put the dress of her widowhood from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the dividing of the road where all eyes see, upon the way of Timnath. For she knew that Shela was grown up, yet she had not been given to him to be his wife.
15 And Jehuda saw her; but she seemed in his face as an harlot, because she had provoked him to anger in his house, and Jehuda did not love her.
16 And he inclined to her in the way and said, Let me now go in with thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter–in–law. And she said What wilt thou give me to go in with me?
17 And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, If thou wilt give me a pledge until thou shalt have sent.
18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she answered, Thy seal, and thy mantle, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave (them) to her, and went in with her; and she conceived by him.
19 And she arose and went, and put her veil from her, and put on the dress of her widowhood.
20 And Jehuda sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullemite, to bring back the pledge from the hand of the woman; but he found her not.
21 And he asked the men of the place, saying, Where is the harlot who was in the sight of the eyes by the way? And they said, There is no harlot here.
22 And he returned to Jehuda and said, I could not find her: and the men of the place also said that no harlot was there.
23 And Jehuda said, Lest she should have taken the pledge, lest we become a laughing stock, behold, I have sent this goat, and thou canst not find her.
24 And it was at the time of three months, that she was known to be with child: and it was told to Jehuda, saying Tamar thy daughter–in–law hath committed fornication and, behold, she is with child by fornication. And Jehuda said, Is she not the daughter of a priest. Let her be brought forth and burned.
25 Tamar was brought forth to be burned, and she searched for the three pledges, but found them not. Uplifiting her eyes to the heavens above, she thus said, Mercy I implore from Thee, O Lord: answer Thou me in this hour of need, and enlighten mine eyes to find the three witnesses; and I will dedicate unto Thee from my loins three saints who shall sanctify Thy name, and descend to the furnace of fire in the plain of Dura. In that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, signed to Michael, who enlightened her eyes, that she found (the witnesses) and took and cast them before the, feet of the judges, and said, The man to whom these pledges belong is he by whom I am with child. Yet though I may be burned I do not make him manifest: nevertheless the Lord of the world will cause him in his heart to acknowledged them, and will deliver me from this great judgment. Now when Jehuda saw them, he recognised them, and said in his heart, It is better for me to be ashamed in this world that passeth away, than be ashamed in the faces of my righteous fathers in the world to come. It is better that I burn in this world by a fire that is extinguished, than burn in the world to come with fire devouring fire. For measure is set against measure. This is according to that which I said to Jakob my father, Know now the robe of thy son; so am I now constrained to hear at the place of judgment, Whose are this seal and mantle and staff ?
26 And Jehuda, acknowledged and said, Tamar is innocent; she is with child by me. And the Bath kol fell from heaven, and said, From before Me was this thing done, and let both be delivered from judgment. And Jehuda said, Because I gave her not to Shela my son, hath this happened to me. But he added not to know her again.
27 But it was in the time of her giving birth, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 And it was in being born that the child stretched forth his hand; and the midwife took it, and bound it with a scarlet thread, saying, This came the first.
29 And after the child had withdrawn his hand, behold, his brother came forth, and she said, With what great power hast thou prevailed, and for thee will it be to prevail; for thou wilt possess the kingdom. And she called his name Pharets.
30 And afterward came forth his brother, upon whose hand was bound the scarlet thread, and she called his name Zarach.