< Genesis 4 >
1 The man slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have produced a man with Yahweh's help.”
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 Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd, but Cain cultivated the soil.
[After those boys grew up], Abel (tended/took care of) sheep and goats, and Cain became a farmer.
3 It came about that in the course of time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground as an offering to Yahweh.
One day Cain harvested some of the crops he had grown and brought them to Yahweh as a gift for him,
4 As for Abel, he brought some of the firstborn of his flock and some of the fat. Yahweh accepted Abel and his offering,
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 but Cain and his offering he did not accept. So Cain was very angry, and he scowled.
but he was not pleased with Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his face looked dejected.
6 Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry and why are you scowling?
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 do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin crouches at the door and desires to control you, but you must rule over 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 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. It came about that while they were in the fields, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
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 Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “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 Yahweh said, “What have you done? Your brother's blood is calling out to me from the ground.
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 cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from 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 cultivate the ground, from now on it will not yield to you its strength. A fugitive and a wanderer you will be in the earth.”
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 Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Cain replied, “You are punishing me more then I can endure.
14 Indeed, you have driven me out this day from this ground, and I will be hidden from your face. I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth, and whoever 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 Yahweh said to him, “If anyone kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Then Yahweh put a mark on Cain, so that if anyone found him, that person would not attack him.
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 So Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh and lived in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
So Cain left Yahweh and went to live in the land called Nod, [which means ‘wandering’], which was east of Eden.
17 Cain slept with his wife and she conceived. She gave birth to Enoch. He built a city and named it after 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 To Enoch was born Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of 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 for himself two wives. The name of the 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 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who lived in tents who have livestock.
Adah gave birth to [a son she named] Jabal.
21 His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of those who play the harp and pipe.
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 As for Zillah, she bore Tubal-Cain, the forger of tools of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
[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 Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say. For I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.
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 If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech will be avenged 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 slept with his wife again, and she bore another son. She called his name Seth and said, “God has given me another son in the place of Abel, for Cain killed him.”
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 A son was born to Seth and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of Yahweh.
When Seth grew up, he became the father of a son whom he named Enosh. About that time people began to worship Yahweh [again].