Judah found a wife and married her. She bore him three sons. The oldest one, Er, became of age to marry and Judah picked him a wife named Tamar. Er displeased God so he took his life leaving her a widow. In those days the younger brother would marry the widow to complete his brother's lineage and to provide for her, but the younger brother deliberately took measures to not impregnate his deceased brother's wife and this saddened the Lord so he also took his life. Judah only had one son left and his wife died. Fearing that he may also lose this one son he planned to do right by his widowed daughter in law and invited her into his home offering her the younger son once he became of age.
The time came and Tamar was not wed. One day Judah went into town to shear his sheep. Tamar took off her widow's garb and went into town perching herself just outside the temple posing with a veil over her face as a harlot. She made a bargain with Judah who offered a kid from the flock in exchange for her sexual favors. He did not have the kid with him so she asked for his seal, cord, and staff, as collateral, as they were marked in a way as to identify him. He agreed. Three months later he came back into town looking for her to pay her but could not find her. Meanwhile Tamar is showing signs of being with child. She showed her father in law the things that he had left her and he realizing he had wronged her would not let anyone touch her nor condemn her. She gave birth to twin boys named Perez and Zerah.
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