Joe: Alright, so I've got a Bible expert here. What's going on in Genesis 38?

Bible Expert: Genesis 38 is all about Judah, one of Jacob's sons. Judah had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. When Er was of age, Judah arranged for him to marry a woman named Tamar.

Joe: Wait, so let me get this straight. Tamar was Er's wife, but then Er died?

Bible Expert: Yes, that's right. Er died before he could have children, so Judah gave Tamar to his second son, Onan. But Onan refused to fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law, so God punished him and he died too.

Joe: Whoa, that's intense. So what happened next?

Bible Expert: Well, Judah was scared that the same thing would happen to his third son, Shelah, so he refused to give Tamar to him. Tamar then tricked Judah into sleeping with her and she became pregnant with twins.

Joe: Wow, so she was able to fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law after all!

Bible Expert: Yes, that's right. The twins she had were named Perez and Zerah. The story of Perez and Zerah is important in Jewish tradition, as they are believed to be the ancestors of King David.