Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
1Adam loved his wife Eve and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the Lord’s help I have had a baby boy.” 2Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Abel took care of sheep. Cain farmed the land. 3After some time, Cain gathered some things he had grown. He brought them as an offering to the Lord. 4And Abel also brought an offering. He brought the fattest parts of some animals from his flock. They were the first animals born to their mothers. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering. 5But he wasn’t pleased with Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his face was sad.
6Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why are you looking so sad? 7Do what is right and then you will be accepted. If you don’t do what is right, sin is waiting at your door to grab you. It desires to control you. But you must rule over it.”
8Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” So they went out. There Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” Cain replied. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”
10The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11So I am putting a curse on you. I am driving you away from this ground. It has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you farm the land, it will not produce its crops for you anymore. You will be a restless person who wanders around on the earth.”
13Cain said to the Lord, “You are punishing me more than I can take. 14Today you are driving me away from the land. I will be hidden from you. I’ll be a restless person who wanders around on the earth. Anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15But the Lord said to him, “No. Anyone who kills you will be paid back seven times.” The Lord put a mark on Cain. Then anyone who found him wouldn’t kill him. 16So Cain went away from the Lord. He lived in the land of Nod. It was east of Eden.
17Cain loved his wife and slept with her. 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 was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19Lamech married two women. One was named Adah, and the other was named Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of people who live in tents and raise livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of everyone who plays stringed instruments and wind instruments. 22Zillah also had a son. His name was Tubal-Cain. He made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me!
You wives of Lamech, hear my words!
I have killed a man because he wounded me.
I have killed a young man because he hurt me.
24Anyone who would have killed Cain would have been paid back seven times.
But anyone who hurts me will be paid back 77 times.”
25Adam slept with his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth. She said, “God has given me another child. He will take the place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” 26Seth also had a son and named him Enosh.
Then people began to call on the name of the Lord.
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Genesis 4: NIrV
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Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
1#Ge 3:15Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived, gave birth to Cain and said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2#Ge 47:3Then she gave birth again to his brother Abel.
And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3#Nu 18:12In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. 4#Heb 11:4; Ex 13:12Abel also brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had respect for Abel and for his offering, 5but for Cain and for his offering, He did not have respect. And Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.
6The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your countenance fallen? 7#Ge 3:16; Ecc 8:12–13If you do well, shall you not be accepted?#Or uplifted. But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must rule over it.”
8#Mt 23:35; Jude 1:11Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9#Jn 8:44The Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10#Heb 12:24And then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11#Ge 3:14; Dt 28:15–20Now you are cursed from the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12#Lev 26:36; Dt 28:23–24From now on when you till the ground, it will not yield for you its best. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14#Nu 35:19; Job 15:20–24You have driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from your face will I be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15#Eze 9:4; 9:6So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Then the Lord put a mark upon Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him. 16#Ge 4:14; 2Ki 24:20Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17#Ps 49:11Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18To 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.
19#Ge 2:24Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 22Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, a forger of every tool 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, and listen to my speech.
For I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man who hurt me.
24#Ge 4:15 If Cain will be avenged sevenfold,
then truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
25#Ge 4:8Adam had relations with his wife again, and she had another son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another offspring instead of Abel because Cain killed him.” 26#Ps 116:17; Zep 3:9To Seth also was born a son, and he called his name Enosh.
At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.
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