1 Kwathi ngelo xesha, wehla uYuda, esuka kubazalwana bakhe, waya wayimisa intente yakhe ngakwindoda yaseAdulam, egama linguHira.
2 UYuda wabona khona intombi yendoda engumKanan, egama linguShuwa; wayizeka, wayingena.
3 Yamitha, yazala unyana; wathi igama lakhe nguEre.
4 Yabuya yamitha, yazala unyana; yathi igama lakhe nguOnan.
5 Yabuya yaphinda yamitha, yazala unyana; yathi igama lakhe nguShela; wayeseKezibhi ukumzala kwakhe.
6 UYuda wamzekela uEre, amazibulo akhe, umfazi ogama linguTamare.
7 Ke uEre, amazibulo kaYuda, ubeneentlondi ezimbi emehlweni kaYehova; waza uYehova wambulala.
8 UYuda wathi kuOnan, Yiya kumfazi womkhuluwa wakho, umngene, umvelisele imbewu umkhuluwa wakho.
9 Wayesazi uOnan ukuba imbewu ayiyi kuba yeyakhe; wathi, xa sukuba esiya kumfazi womkhuluwa wakhe, wayiphalazela emhlabeni, ukuze angamniki mbewu umkhuluwa wakhe.
10 Kwaba kubi emehlweni kaYehova oko wakwenzayo; ngoko wambulala naye.
11 Wathi uYuda kuTamare, umolokazana wakhe, Hlala ungumhlolokazi endlwini kayihlo, ade akhule uShela, unyana wam; kuba wathi, Hleze afe naye, njengabakhuluwa bakhe. Wemka uTamare, waya kuhlala endlwini kayise.
12 Zakuba ninzi iintsuku, yafa intombi kaShuwa, umkaYuda. Akuthuthuzeleka uYuda, wenyuka waya kubachebi bempahla yakhe emfutshane, yena noHira, isihlobo sakhe saseAdulam, kwaTimna.
13 Waxelelwa uTamare kwathiwa, Nanko uyihlozala, enyuka esiya kucheba impahla yakhe emfutshane kwaTimna.
14 Wazisusa iingubo zobuhlolokazi bakhe, wazigqubuthela ngesigqubuthelo, wazithi wambu, wahlala phantsi esangweni le-Enayim, engasendleleni eya kwaTimna; kuba ubebona ukuba ukhulile uShela, àkasiwa noko kuye ukuba abe ngumkakhe.
15 UYuda wambona, waba ulihenyukazi, kuba ebegqubuthele ubuso.
16 Wathi gu bucala, waya kuye endleleni, wathi, Khawuze, ndikungene; kuba ubengazi ukuba ngumolokazana wakhe. Wathi, Wòndinika ntoni na, ukuze ndikuvumele ukuba undingene?
17 Wathi, Mna ndothumela ndithabathe itakane lebhokwe elisempahleni emfutshane. Wathi, Ewe, ukuba uthe wandinika isibambiso, ude ulithumele kum.
18 Wathi, Ndíkunike sibambiso sini na? Wathi yena, Umsesane wakho, nesidanga sakho, nomsimelelo wakho osesandleni sakho. Wamnika ke, wamngena, wamitha yena ngaye.
19 Wesuka wemka, wasisusa isigqubuthelo sakhe, wambatha iingubo zobuhlolokazi bakhe.
20 UYuda walithumela itakane lebhokhwe ngesandla sesihlobo sakhe saseAdulam, ukuze samkele isibambiso esandleni senkazana leyo; asiyifumananga ke.
21 Sabuza kubantu baloo ndawo, sathi, Liphi na ing'awukazi ebe lise-Enayim ngasendleleni? Bathi, Akubangakho ng'awukazi apha.
22 Sabuyela kuYuda sathi, Andilifumananga; nabo abantu baloo ndawo bathe, Akubangakho ng'awukazi apha.
23 Wathi uYuda, Malizithabathe, hleze sidelwe. Yabona, ndithumele eli takane, ke wena akulifumananga.
24 Kwathi, emva kweenyanga ezintathu, waxelelwa uYuda kwathiwa, UTamare, umolokazana wakho, uhenyuzile; kananjalo, yabona, umithi ngokuhenyuza oko. UYuda wathi, Mkhupheni atshiswe.
25 Akukhutshwa, wathumela yena kuyisezala, wathi, Ndimithiswe yindoda ezizezayo ezi zinto; wathi, Khawufanise ukuba ngokabani na lo msesane, nesi sidanga, nalo msimelelo.
26 Wazifanisa uYuda, wathi, Ulilungisa kunam; wenzé kuba ndingamnikanga uShela, unyana wam. Akabanga sabuya amazi.
27 Kwathi, ngexesha lokuzala kwakhe, nanku ingamawele esizalweni sakhe.
28 Kwathi, ekuzaleni kwakhe, kwavela isandla; wathabatha umzalisikazi, wabopha esandleni salo usinga olubomvu, esithi, Eli laphuma kuqala.
29 Kuthe ke, lakusibuyisa isandla salo, nanko kuphuma umzalwana walo. Wathi, Yini na ukuba uzityhobozele? Wathiywa ke igama lokuba nguPeretse.*
30 Kwathi emva koko, kwaphuma umzalwana walo, obenosinga olubomvu esandleni sakhe; wathiywa igama lokuba nguZera.*