XXXVI.

YOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN.

XXXVII. 2 [Yôsêph] was a lad with the sons of Bil'hâh, and with the sons of Zilpâh, his father's wives. 3 Now Yisrâêl loved Yôsêph more than all his children; and he made him a tunic of

many colours. 4 And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren: and they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

13 And Yisrâêl said unto Yôsêph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.

14 And he said to him, Go now, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebrôn, and he came to Shechem.

15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?

16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they are feeding the flock.

17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothân. And Yôsêph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothân.

Genesis, the death of Yiçe'hâq after the death of Râ'hêl. But this portion of his text is lost, the latest editor having preferred the narrative of the Elohist.

23 And it came to pass, when Yôsêph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Yôsêph of his tunic, the tunic of many colours that was on him.

25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a travelling company of Yishma'êlîm came from Gile'âd, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and ladanum, going to carry it down to Miçraîm.

26 And Yehûdâh said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?

27 Come, and let us sell him to the Yishma'êlîm, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh. And his brethren hearkened unto him,

28 And they sold Yôsêph to the Yishma'êlîm for twenty (shekels) of silver. And they brought Yôsêph into Miçraîm.

31 And they took Yôsêph's tunic, and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood

32 And they sent the tunic of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or

not;

33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's tunic; an evil beast hath devoured him; Yôsêph is without doubt torn in pieces.

XXXVII.

YEHÛDÂH AND TÂMÂR.

XXXVIII. 1 And it came to pass at that time, that Yehûdâh went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain man of 'Adullâm, whose name was 'Hîrâh.

2 And Yehûdâh saw there a daughter of a certain Kena'any whose name was Shû'â; and he took her and went in unto her.

3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name 'Êr.

4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Ônân.

5 And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shêlâh; and he was at Chezib when she bare him.

6 And Yehûdâh took a wife for 'Er his firstborn, and her name was Tâmâr.

7 And 'Êr, Yehûdâh's firstborn, was wicked in the eyes of Yahveh; and Yahveh slew him.

8 And Yehûdâh said unto Ônân, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her as brother of her husband, and raise up seed to thy brother.

9 And Ônân knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Yahvel and he slew him also.

11 Then said Yehûdâh to Tâmâr his daughter in law, Remain a widow in thy father's house till Shêlâh

my son be grown up; for he said, Lest he also die, like his brethren. And Tâmâr went and, dwelt in her father's house.

12 And in process of time Shu'a's daughter, the wife of Yehûdâh, died; and Yehûdâh was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnâth, he and his friend 'Hîrâh the 'Adullâmy.

13 And it was told Tâmâr, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

14 And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of 'Ênaîm, which is by the way to Timnâth; for she saw that Shêlâh was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

15 When Yehûdâh saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; for she had covered her face.

16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter in law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

17 And he said, I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?

18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet and thy cord, and the staff that is in thine hand. And he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

19 And she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

20 And Yehûdâh sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the 'Adullâmy, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.

21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot that was at 'Ênaîm by the way side? And they said, There hath been no harlot here.

22 And he returned to Yehûdâh, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, There hath been no harlot here.

23 And Yehûdâh said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that it was told Yehûdâh, saying, Tâmâr thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Yehûdâh said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.

26 And Yehûdâh acknowledged them, and said, She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shêlâh my son. And he knew her again no more.

27 And it came to pass, in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.

28 And it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out and she said,