The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah. A woman from Canaan had these three sons by him. She was the daughter of Shua. Er was Judah’s oldest son. He was evil in the Lord’ s sight. So the Lord put him to death.Tamar was Judah’s daughter- in- law. She had Perez and Zerah by him. The total number of Judah’s sons was five.The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.The sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda. The total number of Zerah’s sons was five.The son of Karmi was Achar. He brought trouble on Israel. Some things that had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. He took some of those things. When he did that, he disobeyed the Lord’ s command.The son of Ethan was Azariah.
At that time, Judah left his brothers. He went down to stay with a man named Hirah from the town of Adullam.There Judah met the daughter of a man from Canaan. His name was Shua. Judah married her and slept with her.She became pregnant and had a son. They named him Er.She became pregnant again and had another son. She named him Onan.She had still another son. She named him Shelah. He was born at Kezib.Judah got a wife for his oldest son Er. Her name was Tamar.But Judah’s oldest son Er was evil in the Lord’ s eyes. So the Lord put him to death.Then Judah said to Onan,“ Sleep with your brother’s wife. After all, you are her brother- in- law. So carry out your duty to her. Provide children for your brother.”But Onan knew that the children wouldn’t belong to him. So every time he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground. He did it so he wouldn’t provide children for his brother.What he did was evil in the Lord’ s eyes. So the Lord put him to death also.