< Genesis 4 >
1 Adam slept with his wife Eve and she became pregnant. She gave birth to Cain, and said, “With the Lord's help I have made a man.”
And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, I have gained a man through God.
2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd, while Cain was a crop farmer.
And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 Sometime later Cain brought some of the produce he'd grown as an offering to the Lord.
And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord.
4 Abel also brought an offering: the firstborn lambs of his flock, selecting the very best parts to offer. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts,
5 but he wasn't pleased with Cain and his offering, which made Cain very angry and he frowned in annoyance.
but Cain and his sacrifices he regarded not, and Cain was exceedingly sorrowful and his countenance fell.
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? Why do you look so annoyed?
And the Lord God said to Cain, Why art thou become very sorrowful and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If you were doing what's right, then you'd be looking happy. But if you don't do what's right, then sin will be like animal crouching outside your home, ready to pounce on you. It wants to have you, but you must be the one in control.”
Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 Later, when Cain was talking with his brother Abel they went out into the fields where Cain attacked his brother and killed him.
And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go out into the plain; and it came to pass that when they were in the plain Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 “Where is your brother Abel?” the Lord asked Cain. “How should I know?” he replied. “Am I supposed to be my brother's care-giver?”
And the Lord God said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? and he said, I know not, am I my brother's keeper?
10 “What have you done?” the Lord asked. “Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.
And the Lord said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood cries to me out of the ground.
11 Consequently you are more cursed than the ground because you soaked it with your brother's blood.
And now thou [art] cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand.
12 When you cultivate the ground, it won't produce crops for you. You'll be always on the run, wandering all over the earth.”
When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth.
13 “My punishment is more than I can take,” Cain replied.
And Cain said to the Lord God, My crime [is] too great for me to be forgiven.
14 “Look! You're driving me away right now—cursing the ground and banishing me from your presence. I'm going to have to hide and always be on the run, left to wander all over the earth. Anyone who finds me is going to kill me!”
If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.
15 But the Lord replied, “No, Cain. Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times over.” The Lord placed a mark on Cain so that no one who came across him would kill him.
And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him.
16 So Cain left the Lord's presence and went to live in a land called Nod, east of Eden.
So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.
17 Cain slept with his wife and she became pregnant. She had a son named Enoch. At that time Cain was building a town, so he named it after his son Enoch.
And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
18 Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael, Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was named Zillah.
And Lamech took to himself two wives; the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the second Sella.
20 Adah had a son named Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock.
And Ada bore Jobel; he was the father of those that dwell in tents, feeding cattle.
21 He had a brother named Jubal; he was the father of all those who play stringed and wind instruments.
And the name of his brother was Jubal; he it was who invented the psaltery and harp.
22 Zillah also had a son. He was named Tubal-cain and he was a blacksmith, making different kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain's sister was named Naamah.
And Sella also bore Thobel; he was a smith, a manufacturer both of brass and iron; and the sister of Thobel was Noëma.
23 At one time Lamech told his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me. You wives of Lamech, pay attention to what I have to say. I killed a man because he wounded me; I killed a young man because he injured me.
And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief.
24 If the sentence for killing Cain was to be punished seven times over, then if someone kills me, Lamech, the punishment should be seventy-seven times.”
Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain's behalf, on Lamech's [it shall be] seventy times seven.
25 Adam slept with his wife again, and she had a son and named him Seth, explaining that, “God has given me another child to replace Abel, the one Cain killed.”
And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Seth, saying, For God has raised up to me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
26 Later Seth had a son named Enosh, because at that time people began to worship the Lord by name.
And Seth had a son, and he called his name Enos: he hoped to call on the name of the Lord God.