Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
1The man Adam knew his wife Eve intimately. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have given life to#4.1 Or created; Heb sounds similar to Cain. a man with the LORD’s help.” 2She gave birth a second time to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel cared for the flocks, and Cain farmed the fertile land.
3Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the LORD from the land’s crops 4while Abel presented his flock’s oldest offspring with their fat. The LORD looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice 5but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice. Cain became very angry and looked resentful. 6The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look so resentful? 7If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it.”
8Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”#4.8 LXX, Syr, Vulg, Sam; MT lacks Let’s go out to the field. When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9The LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s guardian?”
10The LORD said, “What did you do? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11You are now cursed from the ground that opened its mouth to take your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you farm the fertile land, it will no longer grow anything for you, and you will become a roving nomad on the earth.”
13Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14Now that you’ve driven me away from the fertile land and I am hidden from your presence, I’m about to become a roving nomad on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15The LORD said to him, “It won’t happen;#4.15 LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT therefore anyone who kills Cain will be paid back seven times.” The LORD put a sign on Cain so that no one who found him would assault him. 16Cain left the LORD’s presence, and he settled down in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Cain’s descendants
17Cain knew his wife intimately. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and named the city after his son Enoch.
18Irad was born to Enoch. Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19Lamech took two wives, the first named Adah and the second Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and own livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of those who play stringed and wind instruments. 22Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the ancestor of#4.22 Heb lacks the ancestor of. blacksmiths and all artisans of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice;
wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words:
I killed a man for wounding me,
a boy for striking me;
24so Cain will be paid back seven times
and Lamech seventy-seven times.”
25Adam knew his wife intimately again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth#4.25 Sounds like the Heb verb gave “because God has given me another child in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26Seth also fathered a son and named him Enosh. At that time, people began to worship in the LORD’s name.
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Genesis 4: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 4
4
1Adam slept with his wife Eve and she became pregnant. She gave birth to Cain, and said, “With the Lord's help I have made a man.” 2Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd, while Cain was a crop farmer.
3Sometime later Cain brought some of the produce he'd grown as an offering to the Lord. 4Abel also brought an offering: the firstborn lambs of his flock, selecting the very best parts to offer. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5but he wasn't pleased with Cain and his offering, which made Cain very angry and he frowned in annoyance.
6The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? Why do you look so annoyed? 7If you were doing what's right, then you'd be looking happy.#4:7. “Looking happy”: literally, “lifted up.” In the previous verse, the literal meaning is that Cain's “face fell.” So the opposite would be for his face to be “lifted up,” in other words, he would look happy. But if you don't do what's right, then sin will be like an animal crouching outside your home, ready to pounce on you. It wants to have you, but you must be the one in control.”
8Later, when Cain was talking with his brother Abel#4:8. The Septuagint and some other ancient versions add here, “Let's go out into the fields.” The way the sentence is structured in the Hebrew does suggest some words are missing. they went out into the fields where Cain attacked his brother and killed him.
9“Where is your brother Abel?” the Lord asked Cain.
“How should I know?” he replied. “Am I supposed to be my brother's care-giver?”
10“What have you done?” the Lord asked. “Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11Consequently you are more cursed than the ground because you soaked it with your brother's blood. 12When you cultivate the ground, it won't produce crops for you. You'll be always on the run, wandering all over the earth.”
13“My punishment is more than I can take,” Cain replied. 14“Look! You're driving me away right now—cursing the ground and banishing me from your presence. I'm going to have to hide and always be on the run, left to wander all over the earth. Anyone who finds me is going to kill me!”
15But the Lord replied, “No, Cain. Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times over.” The Lord placed a mark on Cain so that no one who came across him would kill him.
16So Cain left the Lord's presence and went to live in a land called Nod, east of Eden.#4:16. “Nod” means “wandering.”
17Cain slept with his wife and she became pregnant. She had a son named Enoch. At that time Cain was building a town, so 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. The first was named Adah, and the second was named Zillah. 20Adah had a son named Jabal. He was the father#4:20. “Father” can also mean “ancestor.” of those who live in tents and have livestock. 21He had a brother named Jubal; he was the father of all those who play stringed and wind instruments. 22Zillah also had a son. He was named Tubal-cain and he was a blacksmith, making different kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain's sister was named Naamah.
23At one time Lamech told his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me. You wives of Lamech, pay attention to what I have to say. I killed a man because he wounded me; I killed a young man because he injured me. 24If the sentence for killing Cain was to be punished seven times over, then if someone kills me, Lamech, the punishment should be seventy-seven times.”
25Adam slept with his wife again, and she had a son and named him Seth,#4:25. “Seth,” meaning “substitute,” or “given.” explaining that, “God has given me another child to replace Abel, the one Cain killed.” 26Later Seth had a son named Enosh,#4:26. “Enosh,” meaning “mankind” or “people.” because at that time people began to worship the Lord by name.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com