Genesis
Chapter38
11AboutthattimeJudahpartedfromhisbrothersandpitchedhistentnearacertainAdullamitenamedHirah.
那时犹大离开自己的兄弟，下到一个名叫希辣的阿杜蓝人那里住下了。
2TherehemetthedaughterofaCanaanitenamedShua,marriedher,andhadrelationswithher.
犹大在那里看见了一个名叫叔亚的客纳罕人的女儿，就娶了她，亲近了她。
3Sheconceivedandboreason,whomshenamedEr.
她遂怀孕，生了一个儿子，给他起名叫厄尔。
4Againsheconceivedandboreason,whomshenamedOnan.
她又怀孕，生了一个儿子，给他起名叫敖难。
52Thensheborestillanotherson,whomshenamedShelah.TheywereinChezibwhenhewasborn.
以后她又生了一个儿子，给他起名叫舍拉；生他的时候，犹大正在革齐布。
6JudahgotawifenamedTamarforhisfirst-born,Er.
犹大给自己的长子厄尔娶了妻子，名叫塔玛尔。
7ButEr,Judah'sfirst-born,greatlyoffendedtheLORD;sotheLORDtookhislife.
犹大的长子厄尔行了上主所厌恶的事，上主就叫他死了。
83ThenJudahsaidtoOnan,＂Unitewithyourbrother'swidow,infulfillmentofyourdutyasbrother-in-law,andthuspreserveyourbrother'sline.＂
于是犹大对敖难说：＂你去与你哥哥的妻子亲近，与她尽你为弟弟的义务，给你哥哥立后。＂
9Onan,however,knewthatthedescendantswouldnotbecountedashis;sowheneverhehadrelationswithhisbrother'swidow,hewastedhisseedontheground,toavoidcontributingoffspringforhisbrother.
敖难明知后裔不归自己，所以当他与哥哥的妻子结合时，便将精液遗泄于地，免得给自己的哥哥立后。
10WhathedidgreatlyoffendedtheLORD,andtheLORDtookhislifetoo.
他作这事，为上主所厌恶，上主就叫他死了。
11ThereuponJudahsaidtohisdaughter-in-lawTamar,＂Stayasawidowinyourfather'shouseuntilmysonShelahgrowsup＂——forhefearedthatShelahalsomightdielikehisbrothers.SoTamarwenttoliveinherfather'shouse.
犹大于是对儿媳塔玛尔说：＂你回到你父亲家中去守寡，直到我儿子舍拉长大成人。＂因为他心里想：＂恐怕他也如同他哥哥们一样死去。＂塔玛尔就回去，住在自己父亲的家里。
12Yearspassed,andJudah'swife,thedaughterofShua,died.AfterJudahcompletedtheperiodofmourning,hewentuptoTimnahfortheshearingofhissheep,incompanywithhisfriendHirahtheAdullamite.
过了几年，犹大的妻子叔亚的女儿死了。丧期过后，犹大便同自己的朋友阿杜蓝人希辣，上提默纳黑去剪羊毛。
13WhenTamarwastoldthatherfather-in-lawwasonhiswayuptoTimnahtoshearhissheep,
有人告诉塔玛尔说:＂你公公现正上提默纳黑去剪羊毛。＂
14shetookoffherwidow'sgarb,veiledherfacebycoveringherselfwithashawl,andsatdownattheentrancetoEnaim,whichisonthewaytoTimnah;forshewasawarethat,althoughShelahwasnowgrownup,shehadnotbeengiventohiminmarriage.
塔玛尔遂脱去守寡的衣服，蒙上首帕，遮掩自己，坐在通往提默纳黑大道去厄纳殷的路口上；－－原来她见舍拉已经长大，还没有娶她为妻。－－
15WhenJudahsawher,hemistookherforaharlot,sinceshehadcoveredherface.
犹大一看见她，以为她是个妓女，因为她遮盖了自己的脸。
16Sohewentovertoherattheroadside,andnotrealizingthatshewashisdaughter-in-law,hesaid,＂Come,letmehaveintercoursewithyou.＂Shereplied,＂Whatwillyoupaymeforlettingyouhaveintercoursewithme?＂
犹大便由路上转到她面前，向她说：＂来！让我与你亲近！＂他并不知她就是自己的儿媳。她答说：＂你给我什么，好与我亲近？＂
17Heanswered,＂Iwillsendyouakidfromtheflock.＂＂Verywell,＂shesaid,＂providedyouleaveapledgeuntilyousendit.＂
犹大答说：＂由羊群中取一只小公山羊送给你。＂塔玛尔说：＂你未送来以前，你应给个抵押。＂
184Judahasked,＂WhatpledgeamItogivetoyou?＂Sheanswered,＂Yoursealandcord,andthestaffyoucarry.＂Sohegavethemtoherandhadintercoursewithher,andsheconceivedbyhim.
犹大问说：＂我该给你什么作抵押？＂她答说：＂你的印章，你的系印带和你手中的棍杖。＂犹大便交给了她，与她亲近了；她于是由他怀了孕。
19Whenshewentaway,shetookoffhershawlandputonherwidow'sgarbagain.
事后，她起来回家，除掉首帕，再穿上她守寡的衣服。
20JudahsentthekidbyhisfriendtheAdullamitetorecoverthepledgefromthewoman;buthecouldnotfindher.
犹大托自己的朋友阿杜蓝人送了一只小公山羊去，好由那女人手中取回抵押；他却找不到她，
215Soheaskedthemenoftheplace,＂Whereisthetempleprostitute,theonebytheroadsideinEnaim?＂Buttheyanswered,＂Therehasneverbeenatempleprostitutehere.＂
便问当地人说：＂那在厄纳殷路旁的庙妓在那里？＂人答说：＂这里从来没有庙妓。＂
22HewentbacktoJudahandtoldhim,＂Icouldnotfindher;andbesides,themenoftheplacesaidtherewasnotempleprostitutethere.＂
他回来对犹大说：＂我找不着她，并且当地的人都说：这里从来没有庙妓。＂
23＂Letherkeepthethings,＂Judahreplied;＂otherwiseweshallbecomealaughingstock.Afterall,Ididsendherthekid,eventhoughyouwereunabletofindher.＂
犹大遂说：＂让她留着罢！免得我们被人嗤笑。我将小公山羊送了去，可是你没有找着她。＂
24Aboutthreemonthslater,Judahwastoldthathisdaughter-in-lawTamarhadplayedtheharlotandwasthenwithchildfromherharlotry.＂Bringherout,＂criedJudah;＂sheshallbeburned.＂
大约过了三个月，有人告诉犹大说：＂你的儿媳塔玛尔与人通奸，而且因通奸有了身孕。犹大说：＂把她拉出来烧死！＂
25Butastheywerebringingherout,shesentwordtoherfather-in-law,＂ItisbythemantowhomthesethingsbelongthatIamwithchild.Pleaseverify,＂sheadded,＂whosesealandcordandwhosestafftheseare.＂
当她被拉出来时，她派人到她公公那里说：＂这些东西是谁的，我就是由谁怀了孕。＂并且说：＂请你仔细看看这些东西：印章、印带和棍杖是谁的？＂
26Judahrecognizedthemandsaid,＂SheismoreintherightthanIam,sinceIdidnotgivehertomysonShelah.＂Buthehadnofurtherrelationswithher.
犹大仔细一看，就说：＂她比我更有理，因为我尚没有将她嫁给我的儿子舍拉。＂他从此以后，再没有认识她。
27Whenthetimeofherdeliverycame,shewasfoundtohavetwinsinherwomb.
到了她要生产的时候，腹中竟是一对双胎。
28Whileshewasgivingbirth,oneinfantputouthishand;andthemidwife,takingacrimsonthread,tieditonhishand,tonotethatthisonecameoutfirst.
她正生产时，一个胎儿伸出一手来，收生婆就拿了一根朱红线系在他手上说：＂这个是先出生的。＂
296Butashewithdrewhishand,hisbrothercameout;andshesaid,＂Whatabreachyouhavemadeforyourself!＂SohewascalledPerez.
但是他一收回手去，他的兄弟就出生了；收生婆说：＂你为自己开了个怎样的裂口！＂遂给他起名叫培勒兹。
307Afterwardhisbrothercameout;hewascalledZerah.
以后，那手上系有朱红线的兄弟也出生了，遂给他起名叫则辣黑。
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Footnotes(注解)
1[1-30]Thischapter,fromtheYahwistsource,hasnothingtodowiththeJosephstoryinwhichJudahisstilllivingwithhisfatherandbrothers.ThesacredauthorinsertedthisindependentaccountfromthelifeofJudahatthisplacetomarkthelonglapseoftimeduringwhichJoseph'sfamilyknewnothingofhislifeinEgypt.ThisisapparentlyapersonalizedhistoryoftheearlydaysofthetribeofJudah,whichinterbredwithseveralCanaaniteclans,thoughsomeofthesesoonbecameextinct.
2[5]Chezib:avariantformofAchzib(Joshua15:44;Micah1:14),atownintheJudeanShephelah.
3[8]Preserveyourbrother'sline:literally＂raiseupseedforyourbrother.＂TheancientIsraelitesregardedasveryimportanttheirlawoflevirate,or＂brother-in-law＂marriage;seenotesonDeut25:5;Ruth2:20.Inthepresentstory,itisprimarilyOnan'sviolationofthislaw,ratherthanthemeansheusedtocircumventit,thatbroughtonhimGod'sdispleasure(Genesis38:9-10).
4[18]Sealandcord:thecylinderseal,throughwhichaholewasboredlengthwisesothatitcouldbewornfromtheneckbyacord,wasadistinctivemeansofidentification.Apparentlyaman'sstaffwasalsomarkedwithhisname(Numbers17:16-17)orothersignofidentification.
5[21]Templeprostitute:theHebrewtermqedesha,literally＂consecratedwoman,＂designatesawomanwhohadritualintercoursewithmeninpaganfertilityrites;cfDeut23:18;Hosea4:14,wherethesameHebrewwordisused.HirahtheAdullamiteusesawordthatreferstoahighersocialclassthanthatdesignatedbythetermzona,common＂harlot,＂usedinGenesis38:15-24.
6[29]HewascalledPerez:theHebrewwordmeans＂breach.＂
7[30]HewascalledZerah:anameconnectedherebypopularetymologywithaHebrewverbfortheredlightofdawn,alludingapparentlytothecrimsonthread.