1Now Adam#4:1a Or the man; also in 4:25. had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced#4:1b Or I have acquired. Cain sounds like a Hebrew term that can mean “produce” or “acquire.” a man!” 2Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

6“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

8One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”#4:8 As in Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek and Syriac versions, and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text lacks “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

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

“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

13Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment#4:13 Or My sin. is too great for me to bear! 14You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”

15The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod,#4:16 Nod means “wandering.” east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

17Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son. 18Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad became the father of#4:18 Or the ancestor of, and so throughout the verse. Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

19Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. 22Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. 23One day Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

listen to me, you wives of Lamech.

I have killed a man who attacked me,

a young man who wounded me.

24If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times,

then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”

The Birth of Seth

25Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth,#4:25 Seth probably means “granted”; the name may also mean “appointed.” for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.

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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.”

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Genesis 4

Berĕshith (Genesis) 4