Genesis 38

1 At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hilly area and stayed with a man whose name was Hiram, who lived in Adullam [town].

In quel tempo Giuda si separò dai suoi fratelli e si stabilì presso un uomo di Adullam, di nome Chira.

2 There he (met/became acquainted with) a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan named Shua. He married her. He had sex [EUP] with her,

Qui Giuda vide la figlia di un Cananeo chiamato Sua, la prese in moglie e si unì a lei.

3 and she became pregnant and later gave birth to a son, whom he named Er.

Essa concepì e partorì un figlio e lo chiamò Er.

4 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son whom she named Onan.

Poi concepì ancora e partorì un figlio e lo chiamò Onan.

5 Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib [town], Judah’s wife gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah.

Ancora un'altra volta partorì un figlio e lo chiamò Sela. Essa si trovava in Chezib, quando lo partorì.

6 When Judah’s oldest son Er [grew up], Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.

Giuda prese una moglie per il suo primogenito Er, la quale si chiamava Tamar.

7 But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.

Ma Er, primogenito di Giuda, si rese odioso al Signore e il Signore lo fece morire.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and have sex [EUP] with her. That is what our customs require that you should do.”

Allora Giuda disse a Onan: «Unisciti alla moglie del fratello, compi verso di lei il dovere di cognato e assicura così una posterità per il fratello».

9 But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he had sex [EUP] with his brother’s widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.

Ma Onan sapeva che la prole non sarebbe stata considerata come sua; ogni volta che si univa alla moglie del fratello, disperdeva per terra, per non dare una posterità al fratello.

10 Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.

Ciò che egli faceva non fu gradito al Signore, il quale fece morire anche lui.

11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Return to your father’s house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, [he can marry you].” But Judah [really did not want Shelah to marry her, because] he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar [obeyed Judah and] went back to live in her father’s house again.

Allora Giuda disse alla nuora Tamar: «Ritorna a casa da tuo padre come vedova fin quando il mio figlio Sela sarà cresciuto». Perché pensava: «Che non muoia anche questo come i suoi fratelli!». Così Tamar se ne andò e ritornò alla casa del padre.

12 Several years later, Judah’s wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his (men were shearing his sheep/sheep were being sheared) His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.

Passarono molti giorni e morì la figlia di Sua, moglie di Giuda. Quando Giuda ebbe finito il lutto, andò a Timna da quelli che tosavano il suo gregge e con lui vi era Chira, il suo amico di Adullam.

13 Someone said to Tamar, “Your father-in-law is going to [the fields near the city of] Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep.”

Fu portata a Tamar questa notizia: «Ecco, tuo suocero va a Timna per la tosatura del suo gregge».

14 [She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So] she took off her widow’s clothes, and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not (recognize her/know who she was). Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim [town], which is on the road to Timnah.

Allora Tamar si tolse gli abiti vedovili, si coprì con il velo e se lo avvolse intorno, poi si pose a sedere all'ingresso di Enaim, che è sulla strada verso Timna. Aveva visto infatti che Sela era ormai cresciuto, ma che lei non gli era stata data in moglie.

15 When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head [like prostitutes often did] (OR, [and sat where prostitutes often sat)].

Giuda la vide e la credette una prostituta, perché essa si era coperta la faccia.

16 Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, “Hey, let me have sex [EUP] with you!” She replied, “What will you give me for allowing you to have sex [EUP] with me?”

Egli si diresse su quella strada verso di lei e disse: «Lascia che io venga con te!». Non sapeva infatti che quella fosse la sua nuora. Essa disse: «Che mi darai per venire con me?».

17 He replied, “I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats.” She asked, “Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?”

Rispose: «Io ti manderò un capretto del gregge». Essa riprese: «Mi dai un pegno fin quando me lo avrai mandato?».

18 He replied, “What do you want me to give to you?” She replied, “Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand.” So he gave them to her. Then he had sex [EUP] with her, and she became pregnant.

Egli disse: «Qual è il pegno che ti devo dare?». Rispose: «Il tuo sigillo, il tuo cordone e il bastone che hai in mano». Allora glieli diede e le si unì. Essa concepì da lui.

19 After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow’s clothes on again.

Poi si alzò e se ne andò; si tolse il velo e rivestì gli abiti vedovili.

20 Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.

Giuda mandò il capretto per mezzo del suo amico di Adullam, per riprendere il pegno dalle mani di quella donna, ma quegli non la trovò.

21 So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”

Domandò agli uomini di quel luogo: «Dov'è quella prostituta che stava in Enaim sulla strada?». Ma risposero: «Non c'è stata qui nessuna prostituta».

22 So he went back to Judah and said, “I did not find her. [Furthermore], the men who live in that town said, ‘There has never been a prostitute here.’”

Così tornò da Giuda e disse: «Non l'ho trovata; anche gli uomini di quel luogo dicevano: Non c'è stata qui nessuna prostituta».

23 Judah said, “She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her.”

Allora Giuda disse: «Se li tenga! Altrimenti ci esponiamo agli scherni. Vedi che le ho mandato questo capretto, ma tu non l'hai trovata».

24 About three months later, someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute and now she is pregnant!” Judah said, “Drag her outside of the city and kill her by burning her!”

Circa tre mesi dopo, fu portata a Giuda questa notizia: «Tamar, la tua nuora, si è prostituita e anzi è incinta a causa della prostituzione». Giuda disse: «Conducetela fuori e sia bruciata!».

25 But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, “The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant.” She also said to tell him, “Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?”

Essa veniva gia condotta fuori, quando mandò a dire al suocero: «Dell'uomo a cui appartengono questi oggetti io sono incinta». E aggiunse: «Riscontra, dunque, di chi siano questo sigillo, questi cordoni e questo bastone».

26 When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, “She is more righteous than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would.” And Judah did not have sex [EUP] with her again.

Giuda li riconobbe e disse: «Essa è più giusta di me, perché io non l'ho data a mio figlio Sela». E non ebbe più rapporti con lei.

27 When it was time for her to give birth, [she was surprised that] there were twin boys in her womb.

Quand'essa fu giunta al momento di partorire, ecco aveva nel grembo due gemelli.

28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, “This one came out first.”

Durante il parto, uno di essi mise fuori una mano e la levatrice prese un filo scarlatto e lo legò attorno a quella mano, dicendo: «Questi è uscito per primo».

29 But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, “So this is how you break your way out first!” So she named him Perez, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘breaking out].’

Ma, quando questi ritirò la mano, ecco uscì suo fratello. Allora essa disse: «Come ti sei aperta una breccia?» e lo si chiamò Perez.

30 Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘redness of dawn].’

Poi uscì suo fratello, che aveva il filo scarlatto alla mano, e lo si chiamò Zerach.