Study Desk

And when his brethren abode in Sechem, feeding their father’s flocks,

And the man said to him: They are departed from this place: for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain.

Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit: and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him: and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him:

Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood: but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands and to restore him to his father.

And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was of divers colours:

And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood?

It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words.

And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go?

And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed:

And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time.

And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell, mourning. And whilst he continued weeping,

At that time Juda went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Odollamite, named Hiras.

And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.

And Juda took a wife for Her, his first born, whose name was Thamar.

Juda, therefore, said to Onan his son: Go in to thy brother’s wife and marry her, that thou mayst raise seed to thy brother.

He knowing that the children should not be his, when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his seed upon the ground, lest children should be born in his brother’s name.

Wherefore Juda said to Thamar his daughter-in-law: Remain a widow in thy father’s house, till Sela my son grow up: for he was afraid lest he also might die, as his brethren did. She went her way, and dwelt in her father’s house.

And after many days were past: the daughter of Sue the wife of Juda died: and when he had taken comfort after his mourning, he went up to Thamnas, to the shearers of his sheep, he and Hiras the Odollamite, the shepherd of his flock.

And it was told Thamar that her father-in-law was come up to Thamnas to shear his sheep.

And going to her, he said: Suffer me to lie with thee: for he knew her not to be his daughter-in-law. And she answered: What wilt thou give me to enjoy my company?