Genesis 4
1 Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have obtained a man through God.”
Adam (had sex/slept) with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she named Cain, [which sounds like the word that means ‘produce’], because, she said, “By Yahweh’s help I have produced a son.” Some time later she gave birth to another son, and she named him Abel.
2 And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.
[After those boys grew up], Abel (tended/took care of) sheep and goats, and Cain became a farmer.
3 Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth.
One day Cain harvested some of the crops he had grown and brought them to Yahweh as a gift for him,
4 Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts.
and Abel took from his flock some of the first lambs that had been born [and killed them] and, as a gift, gave to Yahweh the fatty parts, [which were the best parts]. Yahweh was pleased with Abel and his offering,
5 Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell.
but he was not pleased with Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his face looked dejected.
6 And the Lord said to him: “Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen?
Yahweh said to Cain, “(You should not be angry!/Why are you angry?) [RHQ] (You should not scowl like that!/Why do you scowl like that?) [RHQ]
7 If you behave well, will you not receive? But if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it.”
If you had done what was right (OR, if you do what is right) [RHQ], I would accept your offering. But if you do not do what is right, [your desire to] sin [is ready to attack you like a wild animal that] [PRS] crouches outside the doorway, [ready to spring on its victim] [MET]. [Your desire to] sin wants to control you, but you must (control/not obey) it.”
8 And Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outside.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put him to death.
But one day, Cain said to his younger brother Abel, “Let’s go for a walk in the fields.” [So they went together]. And when they were in the countryside, suddenly Cain attacked Abel and killed him.
9 And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
[Later, even though] Yahweh [knew what Cain had done], he said to Cain, “[Do you know] where Abel, your younger brother, is?” Cain replied, “No, I do not know. (My job is not to guard my younger brother!/Am I supposed to take care of my younger brother?)” [RHQ]
10 And he said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the land.
Yahweh said, “You have done a terrible thing [RHQ]! So now [it is as though] your younger brother’s voice is crying to me from the ground, demanding that his death must be avenged.
11 Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand.
You have killed your younger brother, and the ground has soaked up his blood. So now I will expel you from this land and curse your efforts to produce crops.
12 When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.”
You will till the ground to plant crops, but the ground will produce very few [HYP] crops. And you will continually wander around the earth, and not have any place to live permanently.”
13 And Cain said to the Lord: “My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness.
Cain replied, “You are punishing me more then I can endure.
14 Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me.”
You are about to expel me from the ground [that I have been cultivating], and I will no longer be able to come (into your presence/and talk with you). Furthermore, I will be continually wandering around the earth with no place to live permanently, and anyone who sees me will kill me.”
15 And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death.
But Yahweh said to him, “No, that will not happen. I will put a mark on you to warn anyone who sees you that [I will punish him severely if] he kills you. I will punish that person seven times as severely as I am punishing you.” Then Yahweh put a mark on Cain’s forehead.
16 And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden.
So Cain left Yahweh and went to live in the land called Nod, [which means ‘wandering’], which was east of Eden.
17 Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.
Some time later, Cain (had sex/slept) with his wife, and she [became pregnant and] gave birth to a son, whom she named Enoch. Then Cain started to build a city, and he named the city ‘Enoch’, the same name that his son had.
18 Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech.
Enoch [grew up and married and] became the father of a son whom he named Irad. When Irad [grew up he] became the father of a son whom he named Mehujael. Mehujael [grew up and] became the father of a son whom he named Methuselah. Methuselah [grew up and] became the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.
When Lamech [grew up he] married two women. The name of one was Adah and the other was Zillah.
20 And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds.
Adah gave birth to [a son she named] Jabal.
21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ.
Later, Jabal was the first person who lived in tents because he traveled from place to place to take care of livestock. His younger brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person who made/played a (lyre/stringed instrument) and a flute.
22 Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.
[Lamech’s other wife] Zillah gave birth to a son whom she named Tubal-Cain. Later Tubal-Cain became a (blacksmith/one who made tools from bronze and iron). Tubal-Cain had a younger sister whose name was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising.
One day Lamech said to his two wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen carefully to what I am saying. A young man struck me and wounded me, so I killed him.
24 Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times.”
Yahweh said long ago that he would avenge and punish anyone who killed Cain seven times as much as he punished Cain [for killing his younger brother]. So if anyone [tries to] kill me, I will punish him 77 times as much [as Yahweh punished Cain].”
25 Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, “God has given me another offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.”
Adam continued to (have sex/sleep) with [EUP] his wife, and she [became pregnant and] gave birth to another son, whom she named Seth, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘given’], because, she said, “God has given me another child to take the place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
26 But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.
When Seth grew up, he became the father of a son whom he named Enosh. About that time people began to worship Yahweh [again].
