Gen 38:12-23 | ESV | STEP | In the course of time the wife of Judah , Shua’s daughter , died . When Judah was comforted , he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers , he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite .

Genesis 38:12-23

12 In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah ^awas comforted, he went up to ^bTimnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14 she took off her widow’s garments ^cand covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to ^dEnaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, ^eand she had not been given to him in marriage. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. 16 He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” 17 He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” 18 He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, ^f“Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 Then she arose and went away, and taking off ^gher veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to take back the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. 21 And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute ^{▼▼Hebrew sacred woman; a woman who served a pagan deity by prostitution; also verse 22} who was at ⁱEnaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” 22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, ‘No cult prostitute has been here.’” 23 And Judah replied, “Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her.”