Owesifazane Owawamela Amalungelo Akhe
1Ngaleso sikhathi uJuda wabashiya abafowabo, wayohlala nomuntu wase-Adulama okuthiwa nguHira. 2UJuda wabona indodakazi yendoda yaseKhanani egama layo linguShuwa. Wayithatha, yamgana, walala nayo. 3Yakhulelwa, yazala indodana, wayiqamba igama wathi ngu-Eri. 4Yabuye yakhulelwa, yazala enye indodana, wayiqamba igama wathi ngu-Onani. 5Yalandelisa futhi ngenye indodana, wayiqamba igama wathi nguShela: babeseKhezibhi ngesikhathi ezalwa.
6UJuda wathathela indodana yakhe eyizibulo, u-Eri, umfazi ogama lakhe linguThamari. 7U-Eri, izibulo likaJuda, wayemubi phambi kukaSimakade, ngakho-ke uSimakade wambulala. 8UJuda wathi ku-Onani: “Kuhle ukuba ungene umkamfowenu, umvusele umuzi.”
9U-Onani wayazi ukuthi abantwana abazalwayo ngeke babizwe ngaye, kwathi noma elala nomkamfowabo wayichithela phansi imbewu, ukuze angamvuseli umfowabo umuzi. 10Leyo nto ayenza yaba yimbi emehlweni kaSimakade, wayesembulala naye.
11UJuda wayesethi kuThamari, umalokazana wakwakhe: “Kungcono uhlale ube ngumfelokazi emzini kayihlo kuze kukhule indodana yami uShela.”
Ngokuba uJuda wathi: “Angase afe naye lo njengabafowabo.”
UThamari wahamba wayohlala emzini kayise.
UJuda NoThamari
12Emveni kwesikhathi wafa umkaJuda, indodakazi kaShuwa. UJuda esemzilele umkakhe, wakhuphukela kubagundi bezimvu zakhe eThimna, enomngani wakhe uHira wase-Adulamu. 13UThamari watshelwa ukuthi: “Uyihlozala usendleleni ulibangise eThimna ukuyogunda izimvu zakhe.”
14Wayesekhumula inzilo, wazemboza ngemvakazi, wahlala phansi ngasesangweni e-Enayimi, ngasemgwaqweni oya eThimna, ngokuba wabona ukuthi uShela usekhulile, kodwa wayenganikelwe kuye ukuba abe ngumkakhe.
15UJuda embona lowo wesifazane, wacabanga ukuthi yisifebe nje, ngoba ezemboze ubuso. 16Wayeseqonda kuye eceleni komgwaqo, wathi: “Woza ngilale nawe.”
Wayengazi ukuthi lo wesifazane ungumalokazana wakwakhe.
Owesifazane wambuza wathi: “Uzonginikani uma ngilala nawe na?”
17Wathi yena: “Ngizokunika izinyane lembuzi emhlanjini wami.”
Owesifazane wathi: “Uzonginika yini isibambiso uze ulithumele na?”
18Wathi yena: “Ufuna ngikunike sibambiso sini na?”
Owesifazane wathi: “Indandatho yakho yokusicilela, nomchilo wayo, nodondolo oluphethe esandleni.”
Wamnika-ke, wayeselala naye, wakhulelwa. 19UThamari wasuka lapho, wabuyela ekhaya, wayisusa imvakazi, wagqoka inzilo yakhe.
20UJuda wayesethumela izinyane lembuzi ngesandla somngani wakhe wase-Adulamu, ukuze kubuye izimpahla zakhe ayebambise ngazo kowesifazane, kodwa akamtholanga. 21Wayesebuza kubantu ababakhe lapho, wathi: “Saya ngaphi isifebe esasihlala eceleni komgwaqo e-Enayimi na?”
Abantu bathi: “Akukaze kube khona sifebe lapha.”
22Waphindela kuJuda, wathi: “Angisitholanga. Nabantu bakhona bathe: ‘Akukaze kube khona sifebe lapha.’ ”
23UJuda wathi: “Masizithathele zona sizigcine, funa sihlazeke. Ngilithumele leli zinyane, kodwa wena awusifumananga.”
24Sekwedlule izinyanga ezintathu, uJuda wathola umbiko othi: “UThamari, umalokazana wakwakho, unecala lobufebe, useze wakhulelwa kulobo bufebe bakhe.”
UJuda wathi: “Mkhipheleni eshashalazini, ashiswe ngomlilo.”
25Besamqhuba lona wesifazane, wathumela umyalezo kuyisezala, wathi: “Ngikhuleliswe yindoda engumnini walezi zimpahla; ake ubone ukuthi ngekabani le ndandatho yokusicilela, nomchilo, nodondolo.”
26UJuda wazibona lezo zinto, wathi: “Ulungile lo wesifazane kunami, ngokuba angimnikanga uShela indodana yami.”
UJuda akabuyanga walala naye.
27Esebeletha, kwatholakala ukuthi ukhulelwe amawele. 28Ngesikhathi ebeletha, elinye lawo lakhipha isandla. Umbelethisi wathandela intambo ebomvu esihlakaleni salo, wathi: “Lona uphume kuqala.”
29Lapho esiphindisela emuva isandla sakhe, kwaphuma umfowabo. Umbelethisi wayesethi: “Hawu! Waze wafohla bo!”
Wayeseqanjwa igama kwathiwa nguPherezi. 30Emveni kwalokho umfowabo osandla sakhe sasinentambo ebomvu esihlakaleni, waphuma, igama lakhe kwathiwa nguZera.
