Genesis 4
4
The First Family
1Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “I have given birth.” Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have given birth to a man.” 2After that, Eve gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain became a farmer.
3Later, Cain brought a gift to God. He brought some food from the ground. 4Abel brought the best parts of his best sheep. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift. 5But God did not accept Cain and his gift. Cain became very angry and looked unhappy.
6The Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy? 7If you do good, I will accept you. But if you do not do good, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you. But you must rule over it.”
8Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out into the field.” So Cain and Abel went into the field. Then Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9Later, the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain answered, “I don’t know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?”
10Then the Lord said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is on the ground. That blood is like a voice that tells me what happened. 11And now you will be cursed in your work with the ground. It is the same ground where your brother’s blood fell. Your hands killed him. 12You will work the ground. But it will not grow good crops for you anymore. You will wander around on the earth.”
13Then Cain said to the Lord, “This punishment is more than I can stand! 14Look! You have forced me to stop working the ground. And now I must hide from you. I will wander around on the earth. And anyone who meets me can kill me.”
15Then the Lord said to Cain, “No! If anyone kills you, I will punish that person seven times more.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain. It was a warning to anyone who met him not to kill him.
Cain’s Family
16Then Cain went away from the Lord. Cain lived in the land of Nod,# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “wander.” east of Eden. 17Cain had intimate relations with his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city. He named it after his son Enoch. 18Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad had a son named Mehujael. Mehujael had a son named Methushael. And Methushael had a son named Lamech.
19Lamech married two women. One wife was named Adah, and the other was Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and raise cattle. 21Jabal’s brother was Jubal. Jubal was the first person to play the harp and flute. 22Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain. He made tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice!
You wives of Lamech, listen to what I say.
I killed a man for wounding me.
I killed a young man for hitting me.
24Cain’s killer may be punished 7 times.
Then Lamech’s killer will be punished 77 times.”
Adam and Eve Have a New Son
25Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve again. And she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth.# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “to give.” Eve said, “God has given me another child. He will take the place of Abel, who was killed by Cain.” 26Seth also had a son. They named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord.
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Genesis 4
4
1 Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, "I have obtained a man through God."
2 And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.
3 Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth.
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.
5 Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said to him: "Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen?
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."
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.
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?"
10 And he said to him: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the land.
11 Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand.
12 When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land."
13 And Cain said to the Lord: "My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness.
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."
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.
16 And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region 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.
18 Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.
20 And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds.
21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ.
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.
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.
24 Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times."
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."
26 But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.