Tamar

One crowd dey drag one young woman go di edge of town. Her father-in-law don order make dem kill her. She no talk anything. She just send am one small bundle: one seal, one cord, and one walking stick. And everything change.

Dis story come from di middle of di book of Genesis, just after Joseph brothers sell am go Egypt. One of dis brothers, Judah, don leave im family go live among di Canaanites, near one town wey dem dey call Adullam. E marry one Canaanite woman, and dem born three sons: Er, Onan and Shelah. When Er grow, Judah find wife for am. Her name na Tamar. For dat world, widow wey no get pikin almost no get anybody wey go protect her. Custom talk say if man die without pikin, im brother suppose marry di widow, so dat one son go carry di dead man name and im inheritance go front.

Genesis talk am straight say Er wicked for di Lord eye, and e die. Judah give Tamar to im second son, Onan, make e raise pikin for im brother. But Onan no want pikin wey go carry im brother name and share di inheritance. E refuse im duty for secret, and dat one too no please di Lord, and Onan die. Now fear catch Judah. Two sons don go. E look Tamar and e dey wonder if na she be di problem. So e tell her, go back to your papa house and live as widow until my son Shelah grow. But Judah no get any plan to keep dat promise. Tamar go home, and she wait. Years pass. Shelah grow. Nobody send for her.

Then Judah wife die, and after im time of mourning, e go up to Timnah, where dem dey barb im sheep. Tamar hear say e dey come. She remove her widow cloth, cover herself with veil, and siddon for road side for di entrance of Enaim. Judah no recognise her. E think say na woman wey dey sell her body, and e ask make e sleep with her. She ask wetin e go give her. One small goat from my flock, e talk. Then give me something as guarantee until you send am, she answer. Which guarantee? Your seal and im cord, and di stick wey dey your hand. Judah hand dem over. She get belle. Then she go home and wear her widow cloth again. When Judah friend come with di goat, no woman dey there. Nobody don ever see any woman there.

About three months after, dem tell Judah: your daughter-in-law Tamar get belle. Judah vex well-well, and e order make dem bring her comot and burn her. As dem dey bring her comot, Tamar send am message. Di man wey get dis things na im be di papa of my pikin. You recognise dem? Di seal, di cord, di stick. Judah know dem sharp-sharp. Na im own. And for dat moment Judah do something wey e never do before. E talk di truth about imself. She righteous pass me, because I no give her to my son Shelah. Some months after, Tamar born twins, Perez and Zerah. And Perez come be di ancestor of David, and of Jesus.

Judah seal fit be small cylinder or stamp wey dem carve from stone, wey e dey wear with cord for im neck. Archaeologists don find thousands of seals like dat all over di old Near East. Man dey press am inside soft clay to sign agreement and to mark wetin belong to am. E dey work like signature and ID card at di same time. To give am to stranger, plus im walking stick, na big thing, and e be proof wey nobody fit argue with.

Tamar story dey Genesis chapter thirty-eight, and Matthew remember her name for di first family tree of Jesus. E no be neat story. But na story of woman wey dem cheat, wey no gree make dem forget her, and one proud man wey finally confess say e do wrong. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When dem show you say you don treat somebody anyhow, you ready to talk like Judah, say di person righteous pass me?