Genesis 4

Cain and Abel

(Hebrews 11:4)

1And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.#4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for acquired or brought forth.

“With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man,” she said.

2Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel.

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil. 3So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the Lord, 4while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock.

And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

6“Why are you angry,” said the Lord to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you,#4:7 Or it desires to control you but you must master it.”

8Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” #4:8 SP, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew Then Cain spoke to his brother Abel. And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

9And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10“What have you done?” replied the Lord. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

13But Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment #4:13 Or guilt or sin is greater than I can bear. 14Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

15“Not so!”#4:15 LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; Hebrew “Very well!” or “Therefore:” replied the Lord. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

16So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,#4:16 Nod means wandering. east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

17And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.

18Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech. 19And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.

20Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock. 21And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

22And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23Then Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.

For I have slain a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.

24If Cain is avenged sevenfold,

then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”#4:24 Hebrew; LXX can be translated as either seventy times seven or seventy-sevenfold; see also Matthew 18:22.

Seth and Enosh

25And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,#4:25 Seth probably means granted or appointed. saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

26And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh.

At that time men began to call upon #4:26 Or to proclaim; some translators to invoke or to call themselves by or to profane the name of the Lord.

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Bereshis 4

1And HaAdam knew Chavah (Eve) his isha; and she conceived, and bore Kayin (Cain), and said, Kaniti (I have acquired) ish with Hashem.

2And again she bore his ach Hevel (Abel). And Hevel was a ro'eh tzon, but Kayin was an oved adamah (tiller of soil).

3And in ketz yamim it came to pass, that Kayin brought of the p'ri haadamah a minchah unto Hashem.

4And Hevel, he also brought of the bechorot of his tzon and of the chelev thereof. And Hashem regarded [with favor, respect] unto Hevel and to his minchah:

5But unto Kayin and to his minchah He had not regard. And Kayin was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6And Hashem said unto Kayin, Why art thou angry? And why is thy countenance fallen?

7If thou doest right, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not right, chattat is lurking at the petach. And unto thee shall be its teshukah (desire), and thou must rule over it.

8And Kayin talked with Hevel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the sadeh, that Kayin rose up against Hevel his brother, and killed him.

9And Hashem said unto Kayin, Where is Hevel thy brother? And he said, I know not; am I shomer achi (my brotherʼs keeper)?

10And He said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brotherʼs dahm crieth unto Me from haadamah.

11And now art thou arur (cursed) from haadamah, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brotherʼs dahm from thy hand;

12When thou tillest haadamah, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her ko'ach (strength); na (restless fugitive) vanad (and a wanderer, nomad) shalt thou be in ha'aretz.

13And Kayin said unto Hashem, My avon (iniquity, punishment for guilt) is greater than I can bear.

14See, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the adamah; and from Thy face shall I be hidden and I shall be a na (restless fugitive) vanad (and a wanderer, nomad) in ha'aretz; and it shall come to pass, that whoever findeth me shall kill me.

15And Hashem said unto him, Therefore whoever killeth Kayin, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Hashem placed an ot (mark) upon Kayin, so that none finding him should kill him.

16And Kayin went out from the presence of Hashem, and dwelt in Eretz Nod, east of Eden.

17And Kayin knew his isha; and she conceived, and bore Chanokh (Enoch); and he built an ir (city), and called the shem of the ir, after the shem beno, Chanokh (Enoch).

18And unto Chanokh (Enoch) was born Irad; and Irad fathered Mechuyael; and Mechuyael fathered Metushael; and Metushael fathered Lamech.

19And Lamech took unto him two nashim; the shem of the one was Adah, and the shem of the second Tzilah.

20And Adah bore Yaval; he was the av of such as dwell in ohel, and have mikneh.

21And his brotherʼs shem was Yuval; he was the av of all such as play kinnor (harp) and ugav (flute).

22And Tzilah, she also bore Tuval-Kayin, a forger of every cutting tool of nechoshet and barzel; and the achot of Tuval-Kayin was Na'amah.

23And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Tzilah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech; for I have slain an ish for my wounding, and a yeled for my chabburah.#4:23 See Ga 6:17

24If Kayin (Cain) shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and seven times over.

25And Adam knew his isha again; and she bore a ben, and called shmo Shet; for Elohim, said she, hath appointed me another zera in place of Hevel, whom Kayin killed.

26And to Shet, to him also there was born a ben; and he called shmo Enosh; then began men to call upon the Shem of Hashem.

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