1Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, “By the Lord's help I have gotten a son.” So she named him Cain.#4.1: Cain: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “gotten.” 2Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4#He 11.4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling;#4.7: you would be smiling; or I would have accepted your offering. but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”

8 # Ws 10.3; Mt 23.35; Lk 11.51; 1 Jn 3.12 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out in the fields.”#4.8: Some ancient translations Let's go out in the fields; Hebrew does not have these words. When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.

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

He answered, “I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”

10 # He 12.24 Then the Lord said, “Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

13And Cain said to the Lord, “This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”

15But the Lord answered, “No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge.” So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. 16And Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in a land called “Wandering,” which is east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

17Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech. 19Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of all musicians who play the harp and the flute. 22Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools#4.22: who made all kinds of tools; one ancient translation ancestor of all metalworkers. out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah.

23Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me:

I have killed a young man because he struck me.

24If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain,

Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me.”

Seth and Enosh

25Adam and his wife had another son. She said, “God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed.” So she named him Seth.#4.25: Seth: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “has given.” 26Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord's holy name in worship.

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Genesis 4

CHAPTER 4

1Forsooth Adam knew Eve his wife, which conceived, and childed Cain, and said, I have gotten a man by God.

2And again she childed his brother Abel. Forsooth Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was an earth-tiller.

3Soothly it was done after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord of the fruits of the earth#4:3 Not the first fruits, or the best, or it would have been so stated.;

4and Abel offered of the first engendered of his flock, and of the fatness of those [or them]. And the Lord beheld to Abel and to the gifts of him;

5soothly he beheld not to Cain and to his gifts. And Cain was wroth greatly, and his cheer felled down.

6And the Lord said to him, Why art thou wroth, and why felled down thy face?

7Whether not if thou shalt do well, thou shalt receive well; but if thou doest evil, thy sin shall be present anon in the gates? but the desire thereof, that is, of sin, shall be under thee, and thou shalt be lord thereof.

8And Cain said to Abel, his brother, Go we out. And when they were in the field, Cain rose against his brother Abel, and killed him.

9And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? Which answered, I know not; whether I am the keeper of my brother?

10And God said to Cain, What hast thou done? the voice of the blood of thy brother crieth to me from [the] earth.

11Now therefore thou shalt be cursed on [the] earth, that opened his mouth, and received of thine hand the blood of thy brother.

12When thou shalt work the earth, it shall not give his fruits to thee; thou shalt be unstable of dwelling, and fleeing about on [the] earth, in all the days of thy life.

13And Cain said to the Lord, My wickedness is more than that I deserve forgiveness;

14lo! today thou castest me out from the face of the earth; and I shall be hid from thy face, and I shall be unstable of dwelling, and fleeing about in earth; therefore each man that shall find me shall slay me.

15And the Lord said to him, It shall not be done so, but each man that shall slay Cain shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a sign in Cain, that each man that should find him should not slay him.

16And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and dwelled fleeing about in [the] earth, at the east coast of Eden, that is, of earthly paradise.

17Forsooth Cain knew his wife, which conceived, and childed Enoch; and Cain builded a city, and called the name thereof of the name of his son, Enoch.

18Forsooth Enoch begat Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael; and Mehujael begat Methusael; and Methusael begat Lamech;

19that took two wives, the name to the one wife was Adah, and the name to the other was Zillah.

20And Adah begat Jabal, that was the father of dwellers in tents, and of shepherds;

21and the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of the singers in harp and organ.

22And Zillah begat Tubalcain, that was an hammer-beater, and [a] smith on all works of brass and of iron; forsooth the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

23And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Ye wives of Lamech, hear my voice, and hearken to my words; for I have slain a man by my wounding, and a young waxing man by my violent beating;

24vengeance shall be given seven-fold of Cain, forsooth of Lamech seventy times seven times.

25Also yet Adam knew his wife, and she childed a son, and called his name Seth#4:25 The name sounds like the Hebrew for ‘has given’., and said, God hath put [or set] to me another seed for Abel, whom Cain killed.

26But also a son was born to Seth, which son he called Enos; this began to call inwardly the name of the Lord.

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Good News Translation (US Version)

Genesis 4

Genesis 4