Genesis 4

Cain Murders Abel

1Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten the man that the Lord promised.” 2Then she gave birth to another child, Abel, Cain’s brother. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer.

3Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to the Lord. 4Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. The Lord approved of Abel and his offering, 5but he didn’t approve of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed. 6Then the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed? 7If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it.”

8Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”

10The Lord asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11So now you are cursed from the ground, which has received the blood of your brother whom you killed. 12When you farm the ground, it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth.”

13But Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can stand! 14You have forced me off this land today. I have to hide from you and become a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth. Now anyone who finds me will kill me!”

15So the Lord said to him, “Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” The Lord gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him.

16Then Cain left the Lord’s presence and lived in Nod [The Land of Wandering], east of Eden.

Cain’s Ten Descendants—Cain to Lamech

17Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named it Enoch after his son. 18To Enoch was born Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. 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 first person to live in tents and have livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person to play the harp and the flute. 22Zillah also had a son, Tubalcain, who made bronze and iron tools. Tubalcain’s sister was Naamah.

23Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me!

Wives of Lamech, hear what I say!

I killed a man for bruising me,

a young man for wounding me.

24If Cain is avenged 7 times,

then Lamech, 77 times.”

Adam’s Godly Descendants—Adam to Enosh

25Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, because ⌞she said,⌟ “God has given #4:25 There is a play on words here between Hebrew sheth (Seth) and shath (given). me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

26A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship the Lord.

Learn More About GOD'S WORD

Berĕshith (Genesis) 4

1And Aḏam knew Ḥawwah his wife, and she conceived and bore Qayin, and said, “I have gained a man, יהוה.”

2And again, she gave birth to his brother Heḇel. And Heḇel became a keeper of sheep, but Qayin became a tiller of the ground.

3And it came to be, in the course of time, that Qayin brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to יהוה.

4And Heḇel also brought of the first-born of his flock and of their fat. And יהוה looked to Heḇel and his offering,

5but He did not look to Qayin and his offering. And Qayin was very wroth, and his face fell.

6And יהוה said to Qayin, “Why is he wroth towards you? And why is your face#Lit. faces. fallen?

7Is it not if you do good, you are to be accepted? And if you do not do good, towards the door is a sin.#Or, sin-offering (feminine). He is lying#Or, reposing or crouching (masculine). and towards you is his desire, and you must rule over#Lit. in. him.”

8And Qayin told Heḇel his brother. And it came to be when they were in the field, that Qayin rose up against Heḇel his brother and killed him.

9And יהוה said to Qayin, “Where is Heḇel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s guard?”

10And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

11“And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

12“If you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

13And Qayin said to יהוה, “My punishment is too great to bear!

14See, You have driven me from the face of the ground today, and I am hidden from Your face. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and it shall be that anyone who finds me kills me.

15And יהוה said to him, “Well, if anyone kills Qayin, vengeance is taken on him sevenfold.” And יהוה set up a sign for Qayin, lest anyone finding him strikes him.

16So Qayin went out from the presence of יהוה and dwelt in the land of Noḏ on the east of Ěḏen.

17And Qayin knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Ḥanoḵ. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Ḥanoḵ.

18And to Ḥanoḵ was born Iraḏ. And Iraḏ brought forth Meḥuya’ĕl, and Meḥuya’ĕl brought forth Methusa’ĕl, and Methusa’ĕl brought forth Lemeḵ.

19And Lemeḵ took for himself two wives, the name of one was Aḏah, and the name of the second was Tsillah.

20And Aḏah bore Yaḇal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents, with livestock.

21And his brother’s name was Yuḇal. He was the father of all those who play the lyre and flute.

22As for Tsillah, she also bore Tuḇal-Qayin, a smith of all kinds of tools in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tuḇal-Qayin was Na‛amah.

23And Lemeḵ said to his wives, “Aḏah and Tsillah, hear my voice! Wives of Lemeḵ, listen to my words! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me.

24For Qayin is avenged sevenfold, and Lemeḵ seventy-sevenfold.

25And Aḏam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Shĕth, “For Elohim has appointed me another seed instead of Heḇel, because Qayin had killed him.”

26And to Shĕth, to him also a son was born. And he called his name Enosh. Then it was begun to call on the Name of יהוה.#The first record of “calling on the Name of יהוה.”

Learn More About The Scriptures 2009