38:15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute 3 because she had covered her face. 38:16 He turned aside to her along the road and said, “Come on! I want to have sex with you.” 4 (He did not realize 5 it was his daughter-in-law.) She asked, “What will you give me in exchange for having sex with you?” 6 38:17 He replied, “I’ll send you a young goat from the flock.” She asked, “Will you give me a pledge until you send it?” 7 38:18 He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She replied, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff that’s in your hand.” So he gave them to her and had sex with her. 8 She became pregnant by him. 38:19 She left immediately, 9 removed her veil, and put on her widow’s clothes.
38:20 Then Judah had his friend Hirah 10 the Adullamite take a young goat to get back from the woman the items he had given in pledge, 11 but Hirah 12 could not find her. 38:21 He asked the men who were there, 13 “Where is the cult prostitute 14 who was at Enaim by the road?” But they replied, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” 38:22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I couldn’t find her. Moreover, the men of the place said, ‘There has been no cult prostitute here.’” 38:23 Judah said, “Let her keep the things 15 for herself. Otherwise we will appear to be dishonest. 16 I did indeed send this young goat, but you couldn’t find her.”