Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
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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Genesis 4: NLT
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Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
1Now Adam knew#Or “had intercourse with” Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. And she said, “I have given birth to a man with the help of Yahweh.” 2Then she bore#Literally “And she added to bear” his brother Abel. And Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the ground. 3And in the course of time#Literally “it came to pass at the end of days” Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground to Yahweh, 4and Abel also brought an offering from the choicest firstlings of his flock.#Literally “from the firstlings of his flock and from their fat” And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering, 5but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell. 6And Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? 7If you do well will I not accept you?#Literally “a lifting up”; this is an abbreviation of the Hebrew idiom “to lift up the face,” which means “to accept or regard with favor” But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
8Then#Or “And” Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out into the field.”#This phrase is not present in the Hebrew; it is supplied in other versions Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9Then#Or “And” Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11So now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand. 12When you till the ground it shall no longer yield its strength to you.#Literally “it shall not add to give its strength to you” You shall be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth.” 13And Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14Look, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I must hide. I will be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me.” 15Then#Or “And” Yahweh said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” Then#Or “And” Yahweh put a sign on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16And Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh, and he settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17And Cain knew#Or “had intercourse with” his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And when he built a city he named the city after his son, Enoch.#Literally “he called the name of the city as the name of his son, Enoch” 18And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19And Lamech took to himself two wives.#Or “women” The name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20And Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and those who have livestock. 21And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and wind instruments. 22Then#Or “And” Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain who forged all kinds of tools of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23Then#Or “And” Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice;
O wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed a man for wounding me,
Even a young man for injuring me.
24If Cain is avenged sevenfold,
Then Lamech will be avenged seventy and seven times.
25Then#Or “And” Adam knew#Or “had intercourse with” his wife again, and she gave birth to a son. And she called his name Seth, for she said “God has appointed to me another child in the place of Abel, because Cain killed him.” 26And as for Seth, he also fathered a son, and he called his name Enosh. At that time he#Or “humankind,” if the 3ms form is considered collective began to call on the name of Yahweh.
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