Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
1Adam#4:1 Or The man made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.#4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired. She said, ‘With the help of the Lord I have brought forth#4:1 Or have acquired a man.’ 2Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4But Abel also brought an offering – fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, 5but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’
8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’#4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’
‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’
10The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.’
13Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is more than I can bear. 14Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.’
15But the Lord said to him, ‘Not so#4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.’ Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no-one who found him would kill him. 16So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,#4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14). east of Eden.
17Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of#4:22 Or who instructed all who work in bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives,
‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24If Cain is avenged seven times,
then Lamech seventy-seven times.’
25Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,#4:25 Seth probably means granted. saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’ 26Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time people began to call on#4:26 Or to proclaim the name of the Lord.
The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
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Genesis 4
4
1And Adam knew Eve his wife: who conceived and brought forth Cain, saying: I have gotten a man through God.
2And again she brought forth his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain a husbandman.
3And it came to pass after many days, that Cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the Lord.
4Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings.
5But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect: and Cain was exceedingly angry, and his countenance fell.
6And the Lord said to him: Why art thou angry? And why is thy countenance fallen?
7If thou do well, shalt thou not receive? But if ill, shall not sin forthwith be present at the door? But the lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it.
8And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him.
9And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered: I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?
10And he said to him: What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth to me from the earth.
11Now, therefore, cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth, and received the blood of thy brother at thy hand.
12When thou shalt till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit: a fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth.
13And Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon.
14Behold, thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy face, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: everyone, therefore, that findeth me, shall kill me.
15And the Lord said to him: No, it shall not be so: but whosoever shall kill Cain, shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain; that whosoever found him should not kill him.
16And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and dwelt as a fugitive on the earth, at the east side of Eden.
17And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and brought forth Henoch: and he built a city, and called the name thereof by the name of his son Henoch.
18And Henoch begot Irad; and Irad begot Maviael, and Maviael begot Mathusael; and Mathusael begot Lamech.
19Who took two wives: the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the other was Sella.
20And Ada brought forth Jabel: who was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of herdsmen.
21And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of them that play upon the harp and the organs.
22Sella also brought forth Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artificer in every work of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.
23And Lamech said to his wives Ada and sella: Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, hearken to my speech: for I have slain a man to the wounding of myself, and a stripling to my own bruising.
24Sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for Cain: but for Lamech seventy times sevenfold.
25Adam also knew his wife again; and she brought forth a son, and called his name Seth, saying: God hath given me another seed, for Abel whom Cain slew.
26But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos: this man began to call upon the name of the Lord.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.