At that time, Judah left his brothers and went down to stay with a man of Adullam, whose name was Hirah. There he met the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as his wife. She conceived and bore him three sons in turn: Er, Onan, and Shelah.
When Er grew up, Judah found him a wife named Tamar. But Er was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, perform your duty as brother-in-law, and raise up offspring for your brother." But Onan, knowing the child would not be counted as his, wasted his seed upon the ground, refusing to give his brother an heir. This displeased the Lord, and He struck Onan dead as well.
Fearing that his last son might also die, Judah said to Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until Shelah is grown." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.
In the course of time, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When his mourning had passed, he went up to Timnah to his sheep shearers, together with his friend Hirah. Tamar heard of it and saw that Shelah had grown but had not been given to her. So she laid aside her widow's garments, veiled herself, and sat by the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.
When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for her face was covered. Not knowing she was his daughter-in-law, he approached her and said, "Let me lie with you."
"What will you give me?" she asked.
"I will send you a young goat from the flock," he replied.
"Will you leave me a pledge until you send it?"
"What pledge shall I give you?"
"Your seal, its cord, and the staff in your hand," she answered.
So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. Afterwards, she removed her veil and returned to her widow's clothes.
Judah sent the goat by his friend to retrieve his pledge, but the woman was nowhere to be found. The locals said there had been no shrine prostitute there. So Judah said, "Let her keep the things, or we will become a laughingstock. I sent the goat, but you did not find her."
About three months later, Judah was told, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has acted as a prostitute, and she is pregnant."
"Bring her out," Judah ordered, "and let her be burned."
As she was being brought out, she sent word to Judah: "I am with child by the man to whom these belong. Look carefully—whose seal, cord, and staff are these?"
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 sleep with her again.
When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. During labor, one child reached out his hand, and the midwife tied a scarlet thread on it, saying, "This one came out first." But he drew back his hand, and his brother came out instead. The midwife said, "How you have broken out!" So he was named Perez. Then his brother with the scarlet thread was born, and he was named Zerah.