Genesis 4
4
The First Family
1Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “I have given birth.” Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have given birth to a man.” 2After that, Eve gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain became a farmer.
3Later, Cain brought a gift to God. He brought some food from the ground. 4Abel brought the best parts of his best sheep. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift. 5But God did not accept Cain and his gift. Cain became very angry and looked unhappy.
6The Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy? 7If you do good, I will accept you. But if you do not do good, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you. But you must rule over it.”
8Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out into the field.” So Cain and Abel went into the field. Then Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9Later, the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain answered, “I don’t know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?”
10Then the Lord said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is on the ground. That blood is like a voice that tells me what happened. 11And now you will be cursed in your work with the ground. It is the same ground where your brother’s blood fell. Your hands killed him. 12You will work the ground. But it will not grow good crops for you anymore. You will wander around on the earth.”
13Then Cain said to the Lord, “This punishment is more than I can stand! 14Look! You have forced me to stop working the ground. And now I must hide from you. I will wander around on the earth. And anyone who meets me can kill me.”
15Then the Lord said to Cain, “No! If anyone kills you, I will punish that person seven times more.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain. It was a warning to anyone who met him not to kill him.
Cain’s Family
16Then Cain went away from the Lord. Cain lived in the land of Nod,# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “wander.” east of Eden. 17Cain had intimate relations with his wife. 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 had a son named Mehujael. Mehujael had a son named Methushael. And Methushael had a son named Lamech.
19Lamech married two women. One wife was named Adah, and the other was Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and raise cattle. 21Jabal’s brother was Jubal. Jubal was the first person to play the harp and flute. 22Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain. He made tools out 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, listen to what I say.
I killed a man for wounding me.
I killed a young man for hitting me.
24Cain’s killer may be punished 7 times.
Then Lamech’s killer will be punished 77 times.”
Adam and Eve Have a New Son
25Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve again. And she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth.# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “to give.” Eve said, “God has given me another child. He will take the place of Abel, who was killed by Cain.” 26Seth also had a son. They named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord.
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Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel’s Blood
1Now the man had relations with Eve his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I produced a man with Adonai.”
2Then she gave birth again, to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd of flocks while Cain became a worker of the ground.
3So it happened after some time that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to Adonai,
4while Abel—he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. Now Adonai looked favorably upon Abel and his offering,
5but upon Cain and his offering He did not look favorably. Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
6Then Adonai said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
7If you do well, it will lift. But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the doorway. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
8Cain spoke to Abel his brother. While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9Then Adonai said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” “I don’t know,” he said. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10Then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.
11So now, cursed are you from the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12As often as you work the ground, it will not yield its crops to you again. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
13Cain said to Adonai, “My iniquity is too great to bear!
14Since You expelled me today from the face of the ground and I must be hidden from Your presence, then I will be a restless wanderer on the earth—anyone who finds me will kill me!”
15But Adonai said to him, “In that case, anyone who kills Cain is to be avenged seven times over.” So Adonai put a mark on Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down.
16Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden.
17Cain was intimate with his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. And he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
18And to Enoch was born Irad. Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.
19Now Lamech took for himself two wives. The name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah.
20Adah gave birth to Jabal—he was the pioneer of tent dwellers with livestock.
21His brother’s name was Jubal—he was the pioneer of all who skillfully handle stringed instruments and wind instruments.
22Now Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, the forger of every kind of bronze and iron tools; Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah: Hear my voice! Lamech’s wives: Listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, and a boy for bruising me.
24If Cain is to be avenged seven times, then Lamech—77 times!”
25Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and she named him Seth, “For God has appointed me another seed in place of Abel—since Cain killed him.”
26To Seth, also was born a son. He named him Enosh. Then people began to call on Adonai’s Name.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society