Genesis 4
1 The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten 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 Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
[After those boys grew up], Abel (tended/took care of) sheep and goats, and Cain became a farmer.
3 As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.
One day Cain harvested some of the crops he had grown and brought them to Yahweh as a gift for him,
4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected 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 he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.
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? Why has the expression of 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 do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to 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 said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, 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 Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t 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? The voice of your brother’s blood cries 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 you are cursed because of 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 From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer 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 Behold, you have driven me out today from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. 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, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike 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 Cain left Yahweh’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, 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 knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and named the city after 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 Irad was born to Enoch. 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 two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one 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, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
Adah gave birth to [a son she named] Jabal.
21 His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle 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 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister 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, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain 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 will be avenged seven times, truly 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 knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “for God has given me another child instead 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 also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.
When Seth grew up, he became the father of a son whom he named Enosh. About that time people began to worship Yahweh [again].
