Exit Parallel Mode

Genesis 4

Cain murders Abel
1Adam#4.1 Adam: See the note at 3.20. and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, “I'll name him Cain because I got#4.1 Cain…got: In Hebrew “Cain” sounds like “got”. him with the help of the LORD.” 2Later she had another son and named him Abel.
Abel became a sheep farmer, but Cain farmed the land. 3One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the LORD, 4and Abel also gave an offering to the LORD. He killed the firstborn lamb from one of his sheep and gave the LORD the best parts of it. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering,#He 11.4. 5but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
6The LORD said to Cain:
What's wrong with you? Why do you have such an angry look on your face? 7If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling.#4.7 you would be smiling: Or “I would have accepted your offering.” But you did the wrong thing, and now sin is waiting to attack you like a lion. Sin wants to destroy you, but don't let it!
8Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go for a walk.”#4.8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's…walk.”: Most ancient translations; Hebrew “Cain spoke to his brother Abel.” And when they were out in a field, Cain killed him.#Mt 23.35; Lk 11.51; 1 Jn 3.12.
9Afterwards the LORD asked Cain, “Where is Abel?”
“How should I know?” he answered. “Am I supposed to look after my brother?”
10Then the LORD said:#He 12.24.
Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed on to the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you. 11And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again. 12If you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.
13“This punishment is too hard!” Cain said. 14“You're making me leave my home and live far from you.#4.14 live…you: At this time it was believed that the Lord was with his people only in their own land. I will have to wander about without a home, and anyone could kill me.”
15“No!”#4.15 No: Three ancient translations; Hebrew “Very well!” the LORD answered. “Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you.” So the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him. 16But Cain had to go far from the LORD and live in the Land of Wandering,#4.16 Wandering: The Hebrew text has “Nod”, which means “wandering”. which is east of Eden.
Descendants of Adam before the flood
More and more people
17Later, Cain and his wife had a son named Enoch. At the time Cain was building a town, and so he named it Enoch after his son. 18Then Enoch had a son named Irad, who had a son named Mehujael, who had a son named Methushael, who had a son named Lamech.
19Lamech married Adah, then Zillah. 20-21Lamech and Adah had two sons, Jabal and Jubal. Their son Jabal was the first to live in tents and raise sheep and goats. Jubal was the first to play harps and flutes.
22Lamech and Zillah had a son named Tubal Cain who made tools out of bronze and iron. They also had a daughter, whose name was Naamah.
23One day, Lamech said to his two wives, “A young man wounded me, and I killed him. 24Anyone who tries to get even with me will be punished ten times more than anyone who tries to get even with Cain.”
25Adam and his wife had another son. They named him Seth, because they said, “God has given#4.25 Seth…given: In Hebrew “Seth” sounds like “given”. us a son to take the place of Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain.” 26Later, Seth had a son and named him Enosh.
About this time people started worshipping the LORD.#4.26 worshipping the LORD: Or “worshipping in the name of the LORD.”
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?”
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.”