Judah

31And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

The LORD saw that Leah was not loved. So he let her have babies. But Rachel could not have babies.

32And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

Leah had a baby boy. She named him Reuben. She said, "The LORD saw how sad I was. Now my husband will love me."

33And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

She had another baby boy. She said, "The LORD heard that I am not loved. So he gave me this son too." She named him Simeon.

34And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

She had another baby boy. She said, "Now my husband will stay close to me. I have given him three sons." So he was named Levi.

35And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

She had another baby boy. She said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. After that she stopped having babies.

18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

His brothers saw him coming from far away. Before he got close, they made a plan to kill him.

19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.

They said to each other, "Here comes that dreamer."

20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

"Let's kill him and throw him into one of these pits. We will say a wild animal ate him. Then we will see what happens to his dreams."

21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.

Reuben heard them. He tried to save Joseph. He said, "Let's not kill him."

22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.

Reuben said, "Do not spill his blood. Throw him into this pit out here in the wild. But do not hurt him." Reuben said this so he could save Joseph later. He planned to bring him back to their father.

23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

Joseph came to his brothers. They pulled off his coat, the coat of many colors he was wearing.

24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.

They picked him up and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty. There was no water in it.

25And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Then they sat down to eat. They looked up and saw a group of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels carried spices and sweet-smelling tree sap. They were taking it all down to Egypt.

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

Judah said to his brothers, "What do we gain if we kill our brother and hide it?"

27Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content.

"Let's sell him to the Ishmaelites instead. Let's not hurt him ourselves. He is our brother. He is our own family." The other brothers agreed.

28Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Some Midianite traders came by. The brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The traders took Joseph to Egypt.

1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

At that time Judah left his brothers. He went to stay near a man named Hirah, who lived in Adullam.

2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shuah. He married her and slept with her.

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

She became pregnant and had a son. Judah named him Er.

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

She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan.

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

She had one more son and named him Shelah. She was in a place called Chezib when he was born.

6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

Judah picked a wife for Er, his oldest son. Her name was Tamar.

7And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

But Er did evil things, and the LORD saw them. So the LORD took his life.

8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

Judah said to Onan, "Sleep with your brother's wife. That is your job now that he is dead. Any baby will count as your brother's child."

9And Onan 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 that he should give seed to his brother.

Onan knew the baby would not count as his own. So every time he slept with her, he kept her from having a baby.

10And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

What he did was evil to the LORD. So the LORD took his life too.

11Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

Then Judah spoke to Tamar, the widow of his son. "Go live at your father's house until my son Shelah grows up," he said. Judah was afraid Shelah might die like his brothers. So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

A long time later, Judah's wife died. When Judah was done being sad, he went to the town of Timnath. His workers were cutting the wool off his sheep there. His friend Hirah from Adullam went with him.

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

Someone told Tamar, "Your husband's father is going to Timnath to cut the wool off his sheep."

14And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

So Tamar took off her widow's clothes. She covered her face with a veil so no one would know her. Then she sat down by the road to Timnath. Shelah was grown up now, but she had not been given to him as a wife.

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

Judah saw her and thought she was a prostitute. Her face was covered, so he did not know her.

16And 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?

He walked over to her and said, "Please let me sleep with you." He did not know she was the widow of his son. She said, "What will you give me if I do?"

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

He said, "I will send you a young goat from my flock." She said, "Then leave me something of yours to keep until you send it."

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

"What should I leave you?" he asked. She said, "Your seal and its cord, and the walking stick in your hand." He gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant.

19And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

Then Tamar got up and went away. She took off the veil and put her widow's clothes back on.

20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand: but he found her not.

Judah sent the young goat with his friend from Adullam. Hirah was supposed to bring back the things Judah had left. But he could not find the woman.

21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

He asked the men of that place, "Where is the prostitute who sat right beside the road?" They said, "There has never been a prostitute here."

22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.

So he went back to Judah and said, "I could not find her. The men there said no prostitute was ever there."

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

Judah said, "Then let her keep the things. If we keep looking, people will laugh at us. I did send the goat, but you could not find her."

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

About three months later, someone told Judah, "Tamar has been sleeping with men. Now she is going to have a baby." Judah said, "Bring her out here. Burn her to death!"

25When 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 bracelets, and staff.

As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to Judah. "The man who owns these things is the father of my baby," she said. "Please look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?"

26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.

Judah knew they were his. He said, "She has done right, and I have not. I never gave her to my son Shelah." And he never slept with her again.

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

When it was time for her baby to be born, there were twins inside her.

28And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.

While she was giving birth, one baby put out his hand. The midwife, the woman who helps babies be born, tied a red thread on it. She said, "This one came out first."

29And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.

But he pulled his hand back inside, and his brother came out first. She said, "So this is how you pushed your way out!" So they named him Pharez.

30And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

Then his brother came out with the red thread on his hand. They named him Zarah.

1And the famine was sore in the land.

The famine in the land was very bad. There was still not enough food.

2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

The brothers ate all the grain they brought from Egypt. Then their father said, "Go back and buy us a little more food."

3And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

But Judah said, "The man warned us clearly. He said we cannot see him again unless our brother comes with us.

4If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

5But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

But if you will not send him, we will not go. The man said we cannot see him without our brother."

6And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

Israel, who is Jacob, said, "Why did you make trouble for me? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?"

7And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

They said, "The man asked us many questions about ourselves and our family. He asked, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We only answered what he asked. How could we know he would say, 'Bring your brother here'?"

8And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me. We will get up and go right now. Then we will live and not die. That means us, and you, and our little children.

9I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

I promise to keep him safe. You can hold me responsible. If I do not bring him back to you, I will carry the blame all my life.

10For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

If we had not waited so long, we could have gone and come back twice by now."

11And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

Their father Israel said, "If it must be this way, then do this. Take the best things our land grows. Put them in your bags as a gift for the man. Take a little balm and honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds.

12And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

Take twice as much silver with you. Take back the silver that was in the top of your sacks. Maybe someone made a mistake.

13Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

Take your brother too. Get up and go back to the man.

14And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

May God Almighty make the man kind to you. May he let your other brother and Benjamin come home. If I lose my children, then I lose them."

14And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph’s house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground.

Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house. Joseph was still there. They bowed low to the ground in front of him.

15And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?

Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Did you not know a man like me can find out hidden things?"

16And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.

Judah said, "What can we say to you, sir? How can we show we are not guilty? God has found the wrong in your servants. We are your slaves now. All of us, and the one who had the cup."

17And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

Joseph said, "I would never do that. Only the man who had the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go home to your father in peace."

18Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh.

Then Judah came closer to Joseph. He said, "Please, sir, let me say one thing to you. Please do not be angry with me. You are as great as Pharaoh, the king of Egypt."

19My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother?

"Sir, you asked us, your servants, if we had a father or a brother."

20And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

"We told you, sir, that we have an old father. He has a young son who was born when he was old. That boy's brother is dead. He is the only son left from his mother, and his father loves him."

21And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

"Then you told us to bring the boy down to you. You said you wanted to see him yourself."

22And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

"We told you, sir, that the boy cannot leave his father. If he left, his father would die."

23And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

"But you told us that we could not see your face again. You said we must bring our youngest brother with us."

24And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

"So we went back to my father, your servant. We told him what you had said."

25And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.

"Later our father said, \"Go back and buy us a little more food.\""

26And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our youngest brother be with us.

"We said we could not go. We could only go if our youngest brother came with us. The man in Egypt would not see us without him."

27And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons:

"Then my father said to us, \"You know my wife gave me two sons.\""

28And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since:

"\"One of them went away from me. I said a wild animal must have torn him apart. I have not seen him since.\""

29And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

"\"If you take this one too, and something bad happens to him, I will die of sadness. My gray head will go down to the grave in sorrow.\""

30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;

"So now, sir, think what will happen. If I go home to my father without the boy, it will hurt him deeply. My father's whole life is tied to the boy's life."

31It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

"When he sees the boy is not with us, he will die. We will have sent our old father to the grave in sorrow."

32For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.

"I promised my father that the boy would be safe. I said that if I did not bring him home, I would carry the blame forever."

33Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

"So please let me stay here as your slave instead of the boy. Let the boy go home with his brothers."

34For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.

"How can I go back to my father without the boy? I could not bear to see the pain it would cause him."

28And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen.

Jacob sent Judah on ahead to Joseph. Judah was to ask the way to Goshen. Then the family arrived in the land of Goshen.

29And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

Joseph got his chariot ready, a cart pulled by horses. He rode to Goshen to meet his father Israel. He hugged him and cried on his shoulder a long time.

30And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.

Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die. I have seen your face, and you are still alive."

31And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father’s house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father’s house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;

Joseph said to his brothers and his father's family, "I will go and tell Pharaoh. I will say, 'My brothers and my father's family have come to me from Canaan.'"

32And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.

"I will tell him, 'These men keep sheep and other animals. That is their work. They have brought their flocks and herds and everything they own.'"

33And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?

"When Pharaoh calls you in, he will ask, 'What work do you do?'"

34That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

"Then say, 'We have kept animals since we were young, and our fathers did too.' Then Pharaoh will let you live in Goshen. Egyptians think shepherds are disgusting."