Bible in Basic English
And turning to her by the roadside, he said to her, Let me come in to you; for he had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me as my price?
And he said, I will give you a young goat from the flock. And she said, What will you give me as a sign till you send it?
And he said, What would you have? And she said, Your ring and its cord and the stick in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became with child by him.
Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.
Then Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat, to get back the things which he had given as a sign to the woman: but she was not there.
And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.
So he went back to Judah, and said, I have not seen her, and the men of the place say that there is no such woman there.
And Judah said, Let her keep the things, so that we may not be shamed; I sent the young goat, but you did not see the woman.
Now about three months after this, word came to Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had been acting like a loose woman and was with child. And Judah said, Take her out and let her be burned.
And while she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, The man whose property these things are, is the father of my child: say then, whose are this ring and this cord and this stick?
Then Judah said openly that they were his, and said, She is more upright than I am, for I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he had no more connection with her.
And when the time came for her to give birth, it was clear that there were two children in her body.
And while she was in the act of giving birth, one of them put out his hand; and the woman who was with her put a red thread round his hand, saying, This one came out first.
But then he took his hand back again, and his brother came first to birth: and the woman said, What an opening you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez.
And then his brother came out, with the red thread round his hand, and he was named Zerah.
— Genesis 38:16-1964, Bible in Basic English
“And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter-in-law. And she answered: What wilt thou give me to enjoy my company? He said: I will send thee a kid out of the flock. And when she said again: I will suffer what thou wilt, if thou give me a pledge, till thou send what thou promisest. Juda said: What wilt thou have for a pledge? She answered: Thy ring and bracelet, and the staff which thou holdest in thy hand. The woman therefore at one copulation conceived. And she arose and went her way: and putting off the apparel which she had taken, put on the garments of her widowhood. And Juda sent a kid by his shepherd, the Odollamite, that he might receive the pledge again, which he had given to the woman: but he, not finding her, Asked the men of that place: Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place, He returned to Juda, and said to him: I have not found her; moreover, the men of that place said to me, that there never sat a harlot there. Juda said: Let her take it to herself, surely she cannot charge us with a lie, I sent the kid which I promised: and thou didst not find her. And behold, after three months, they told Juda, saying: Thamar, thy daughter-in-law, hath played the harlot, and she appeareth to have a big belly. And Juda said: Bring her out that she may be burnt. But when she was led to execution, she sent to her father in law, saying: By the man, to whom these things belong, I am with child. See whose ring, and bracelet, and staff this is. But he acknowledging the gifts, said: She is juster than I: because I did not give her to Sela, my son. However he knew her no more. And when she was ready to be brought to bed, there appeared twins in her womb: and in the very delivery of the infants, one put forth a hand, whereon the midwife tied a scarlet thread, saying: This shall come forth the first. But he drawing back his hand, the other came forth: and the woman said: Why is the partition divided for thee? and therefore called his name Phares. Afterwards his brother came out, on whose hand was the scarlet thread: and she called his name Zara. ”
And when Tamar had news that her father-in-law was going up to Timnah to the wool-cutting,
She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.
When Judah saw her he took her to be a loose woman of the town, because her face was covered.
And turning to her by the roadside, he said to her, Let me come in to you; for he had no idea that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What will you give me as my price?
And he said, I will give you a young goat from the flock. And she said, What will you give me as a sign till you send it?
And he said, What would you have? And she said, Your ring and its cord and the stick in your hand. So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she became with child by him.
Then she got up and went away and took off her veil and put on her widow's clothing.
Then Judah sent his friend Hirah with the young goat, to get back the things which he had given as a sign to the woman: but she was not there.
And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.
So he went back to Judah, and said, I have not seen her, and the men of the place say that there is no such woman there.
And Judah said, Let her keep the things, so that we may not be shamed; I sent the young goat, but you did not see the woman.
Now about three months after this, word came to Judah that Tamar, his daughter-in-law, had been acting like a loose woman and was with child. And Judah said, Take her out and let her be burned.
And while she was being taken out, she sent word to her father-in-law, saying, The man whose property these things are, is the father of my child: say then, whose are this ring and this cord and this stick?
Then Judah said openly that they were his, and said, She is more upright than I am, for I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he had no more connection with her.
And when the time came for her to give birth, it was clear that there were two children in her body.
And while she was in the act of giving birth, one of them put out his hand; and the woman who was with her put a red thread round his hand, saying, This one came out first.
But then he took his hand back again, and his brother came first to birth: and the woman said, What an opening you have made for yourself! So he was named Perez.
And then his brother came out, with the red thread round his hand, and he was named Zerah.