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Chapter 3
Judah describes some archeological findings, a city with walls of Iron and gates of brass. He has an encounter with an adventuress.
1AND eighteen years my father abode in peace with his brother Esau, and his sons with us, after that we came from Mesopotamia, from Laban.
2And when eighteen years were fulfilled, in the fortieth year of my life, Esau, the brother of my father, came upon us with a mighty and strong people.
3And Jacob smote Esau with an arrow, and he was taken up wounded on Mount Seir, and as he went he died at Anoniram.
4And we pursued after the sons of Esau.
5Now they had a city with walls of iron and gates of brass; and we could not enter into it, and we encamped around, and besieged it.
6And when they opened not to us in twenty days, I set up a ladder in the sight of all and with my shield upon my head I went up, sustaining the assault of stones, upwards of three talents weight; and I slew four of their mighty men.
7And Reuben and Gad slew six others.
8Then they asked from us terms of peace; and having taken counsel with our father, we received them as tributaries.
9And they gave us five hundred cors of wheat, five hundred baths of oil, five hundred measures of wine, until the famine, when we went down into Egypt.
10And after these things my son Er took to wife Tamar, from Mesopotamia, a daughter of Aram.
11Now Er was wicked, and he was in need concerning Tamar, because she was not of the land of Canaan.
12And on the third night an angel of the Lord smote him.
13And he had not known her according to the evil craftiness of his mother, for he did not wish to have children by her.
14In the days of the wedding feast I gave Onan to her in marriage; and he also in wickedness knew her not, though he spent with her a year.
15And when I threatened him he went in unto her, but he spilled the seed on the ground, according to the command of his mother, and he also died through wickedness.
16And I wished to give Shelah also to her, but his mother did not permit it; for she wrought evil against Tamar, because she was not the daughters of Canaan, as she also herself was.
17And I knew that the race of the Canaanites was wicked, but the impulse of youth blinded my mind.
18And when I saw her pouring out wine, owing to the intoxication of wine I was deceived, and took her although my father had not counselled it.
19And while I was away she went and took for Shelah a wife from Canaan.
20And when I knew what she had done, I cursed her in the anguish of my soul.
21And she also died through her wickedness together with her sons.
22And after these things, while Tamar was a widow, she heard after two years that I was going up, to shear my sheep, and adorned herself in bridal array, and sat in the city Enaim by the gate.
23For it was a law of the Amorites, that she who was about to marry should sit in fornication seven days by the gate.
24Therefore being drunk with wine, I did not recognize her; and her beauty deceived me, through the fashion of her adorning.
25And I turned aside to her, and said: Let me go in unto thee.
26And she said: What wilt thou give me? And I gave her my staff, and my girdle, and the diadem of my kingdom in pledge.
27And I went in unto her, and she conceived.
28And not knowing what I had done, I wished to slay her; but she privily sent my pledges, and put me to shame.
29And when I called her, I heard also the secret words which I spoke when lying with her in my drunkenness; and I could not slay her, because it was from the Lord.
30For I said, Lest haply she did it in subtlety, having received the pledge from another woman.
31But I came not again near her while I lived, because I had done this abomination in all Israel.
32Moreover, they who were in the city said there was no harlot in the gate, because she came from another place, and sat for a while in the gate.
33And I thought that no one knew that I had gone in to her.
34And after this we came into Egypt to Joseph, because of the famine.
35And I was forty and six years old, and seventy and three years lived I in Egypt.