Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
1Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten#4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of #Lev. 2:12; Num. 18:12the fruit of the ground, 4and Abel also brought of #Ex. 13:12; Num. 18:17; Prov. 3:9 the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord #Heb. 11:4had regard for Abel and his offering, 5but #[Prov. 21:27]for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7#Eccles. 8:12, 13; Isa. 3:10, 11; Rom. 2:6-11 If you do well, will you not be accepted?#4:7 Hebrew will there not be a lifting up [of your face]? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. #ch. 3:16Its desire is contrary to#4:7 Or is toward you, but you must rule over it.”
8Cain spoke to Abel his brother.#4:8 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate add Let us go out to the field And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and #Matt. 23:35; Heb. 12:24; 1 John 3:12; Jude 11killed him. 9Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, #John 8:44“I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood #Heb. 12:24; [Rev. 6:10]is crying to me from the ground. 11And now #Deut. 27:24; [Num. 35:33]you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13Cain said to the Lord, “My #ch. 19:15punishment is greater than I can bear.#4:13 Or My guilt is too great to bear 14Behold, #Job 15:20-24 you have driven me today away from the ground, and #2 Kgs. 24:20; Ps. 51:11; 143:7; Jer. 52:3 from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, #ch. 9:6; Num. 35:19and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him #Ps. 79:12 sevenfold.” And the Lord #[Ezek. 9:4, 6; Rev. 14:9, 11]put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,#4:16 Nod means wandering east of Eden.
17Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20Adah bore 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 lyre and pipe. 22Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments 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 have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
24 # ver. 15 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
25And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed#4:25 Seth sounds like the Hebrew for he appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26To #1 Chr. 1:1; Luke 3:38 Seth also a son was born, and he called his name #ch. 5:6 Enosh. At that time people began #Ps. 116:17; Zeph. 3:9; Zech. 13:9to call upon the name of the Lord.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Genesis 4
4
1 Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, "I have obtained a man through God."
2 And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.
3 Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth.
4 Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts.
5 Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said to him: "Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen?
7 If you behave well, will you not receive? But if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it."
8 And Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go outside." And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put him to death.
9 And the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" And he responded: "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
10 And he said to him: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the land.
11 Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand.
12 When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land."
13 And Cain said to the Lord: "My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness.
14 Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me."
15 And the Lord said to him: "By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold." And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death.
16 And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden.
17 Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.
18 Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.
20 And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds.
21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ.
22 Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.
23 And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: "Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising.
24 Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times."
25 Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, "God has given me another offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed."
26 But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.
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