The Holy Bible

Genesis 4

Cain and Abel

4:1 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, With the help of the LordI have brought forth[c] a man. 

4:2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 

4:3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 

4:4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 

4:5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

4:6 Then the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 

4:7 If 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.

4:8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, Lets go out to the field.[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel?

I dont know, he replied. Am I my brothers keeper?

4:10 The Lord said, What have you done? Listen! Your brothers blood cries out to me from the ground. 

4:11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brothers blood from your hand. 

4:12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.

4:13 Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is more than I can bear. 

4:14 Today 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.

4:15 But the Lord said to him, Not so[e]; 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. 

4:16 So Cain went out from the Lords presence and lived in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.

4:17 Cain 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. 

4:18 To 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.

4:19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 

4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.

4:21 His brothers name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 

4:22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of[g] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cains sister was Naamah.

4:23 Lamech 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.

4:24 If Cain is avenged seven times,
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.

4:25 Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[h] saying, God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him. 

4:26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time people began to call on[i] the name of the Lord.

Footnotes:

a. Genesis 4:1 Or The man

b. Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the

Hebrew for brought forth or acquired.

c. Genesis 4:1 Or have acquired

d. Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have Lets go out to the field.

e. Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well

f. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).

g. Genesis 4:22 Or who instructed all who work in

h. Genesis 4:25 Seth probably means granted.

i. Genesis 4:26 Or to proclaim