1 Ngelo xesha ke uJuda wabashiya abantakwabo, waya kuhlala nomfo ogama linguHira, owayehlala kwidolophu iAdulam.
2 UJuda wabona apho intombi yomKanana ogama linguShuwa. Wayithatha yaba ngumkakhe,
3 yazala inkwenkwe ekwathiwa nguEre igama layo.
4 Uphinde wazala enye inkwenkwe, kwathiwa igama layo nguOnan.
5 Uzele enye inkwenkwe kwakhona, yona kwathiwa nguShela. Wayehlala eKezibhi uJuda ukuzalwa kwale nkwenkwe.
6 UJuda wamfunela umfazi uEre unyana wakhe omkhulu. Igama lakhe lalinguTamare.
7 UEre wayeziphethe kakubi, loo nto yabangela ukuba *uNdikhoyo abunqamle ubomi bakhe.
8 UJuda uthe uOnan, umninawa kaEre, makadibane nomka-mkhuluwa wakhe, khon' ukuze azalele umkhuluwa wakhe abantwana ngokwesiko.
9 UOnan, esazi ukuba wayengazi kuzizalela abo bantwana, wathi rhoqo ukumane eyichithela phantsi imbewu yakhe ngalo lonke ixesha adibana noTamare, khon' ukuze angathathi, angamzaleli bantwana umkhuluwa wakhe.
10 Loo nto wayithiya kakhulu uNdikhoyo, waza wabunqamla ubomi bukaOnan.
11 Uthe ke uJuda kumolokazana wakhe uTamare makakhe agoduke, aye kuhlala kowabo engumhlolokazi, de kukhule uShela unyana omncinci. Watsho kuba esoyika hleze afe noShela kwanjengabakhuluwa bakhe. Wagoduka ke uTamare.
12 Emva kwethuba umka-Juda intombi kaShuwa wabhubha. Akuba ephumile ehlathini uJuda, wahamba nogxa wakhe uHira waseAdulam, baya eTimna, apho kwakuchetywa khona iigusha zakhe.
13 Kwabakho mntu uthile uhlebela uTamare ukuba uyisezala wayesiya kucheba iigusha zakhe eTimna.
14 UTamare wazikhulula iimpahla zokuzila awayezinxibile, wafihla nobuso bakhe ngesigqubuthelo, waza wahlala phantsi ngasesangweni lase-Enayim, eyayiyidolophu esendleleni eya eTimna. Wayesazi ukuba uShela unyana omncinci kaJuda wayeselekhulile, kodwa yena Tamare wayengekanikezelwa kuye.
15 Akumbona uTamare, uJuda waba lihenyukazi nje, kuba wayebufihlile ubuso bakhe.
16 Wawela indlela, waya kuye, wafika wathi: “Khawutsho, ufuna ndikunike ntoni?” Esitsho nje wayengaqondi ukuba ubhekisa kumolokazana wakhe.UTamare ke waphendula wathi: “Yintoni ongandinika yona wena?”
17 Uthe uJuda: “Ndakuthumela itakane lebhokhwe.”UTamare uthe: “Kulungile ukuba undinika isibambiso ndisigcine kude kufike elo takane.”
18 “Ndikunike sibambiso sini?” ubuze watsho uJuda.Uthe uTamare: “Ndinike eso siphawulo sakho kunye nomtya waso, naloo msimelelo wakho.” Wamnika ke uJuda. Balala, wathatha uTamare.
19 Wagoduka, wafika wothula eso sigqubuthelo wayesithwele, wanxiba impahla yakhe yokuzila.
20 UJuda wathumela uHira ugxa wakhe ukuba ase elo takane, aze athathe ezo zinto wayebambise ngazo kuloo mfazi. Kodwa akazange amfumane loo mfazi uHira.
21 Wabuza kubafo abathile base-Enayim wathi: “Liye phi elaa henyukazi laliba secaleni kwendlela?”Bathi ke bona: “Akuzange kubekho henyukazi apha.”
22 Wabuyela kuJuda, wathi: “Andimfumananga; yaye namadoda alapho athi akuzange kubekho henyukazi apho.”
23 Wathi uJuda: “Akukho nto; masezihlala kuye ezo zinto zam. Nto nje andifuni kuba yintlekisa ebantwini. Kambe mna ndilingile ukuhlawula, kodwa lona ihenyukazi alifumaneki.”
24 Emva kweenyanga ezintathu waxelelwa uJuda kwathiwa: “UTamare umolokazana wakho ubeziphethe kakubi, ngoku ke umithi.”UJuda wathi: “Mkhupheleni ngaphandle, atshiswe ngomlilo ade afe.”
25 Kuthe xa bamqhubayo, wathumela abantu kuyisezala ukuba bamxelele bathi: “UTamare uthi: ‘Ndimithiswe ngulo mntu ezizezakhe ezi zinto: isiphawulo nomtya waso, nomsimelelo. Khawuzijongisise, ukhangele ukuba ngaba zezikabani na.’ ”
26 UJuda wazazi kwangoko, wathi: “Akanatyala. Ndim ongahambanga ngesiko. Bendimelwe kukumnikezela kunyana wam uShela.” Waba uqale wagqibelisa uJuda ukulala noTamare.
27 Kuthe xa kusondela ilixa lokubeleka, kwabonakala ukuba wayeza kuzala amawele.
28 Xa alunywayo elinye iwele lavelisa isandla, waza umfazi owayembelekisa wasibamba, wasibopha ngomsonto obomvu eso sandla, wathi: “Lo uvele tanci.”
29 Kodwa sabuya satshona isandla, kwaza kwavela elinye iwele kuqala. Wathi ke loo mfazi: “Wenjenje kanti ukuzivulela indlela!” Kwathiwa ke igama lalo nguPerezi.
30 Ke yena umntakwabo wavela enalaa msonto ubomvu, kwathiwa yena nguZera.