Genesis 4

¹ The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with the LORD’s help.”

² Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

³ As time passed, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground.

⁴ Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. The LORD respected Abel and his offering,

⁵ but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

⁶ The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

⁷ If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

⁸ Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

⁹ The LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ The LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.

¹¹ Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹² From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³ Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

¹⁴ Behold, you have driven me out today from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. Whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵ The LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” The LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.

¹⁶ Cain left the LORD’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

¹⁸ Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

¹⁹ Lamech took two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah.

²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.

²² Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, for I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.

²⁴ If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”

²⁵ Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “for God has given me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

²⁶ A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the LORD’s name.

¹ AAnd Adam knew Eve his wife; who conceived and brought forth Cain, saying: I have gotten a man through God.

² And again she brought forth his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain a husbandman.

³ And it came to pass after many days, that Cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the Lord.

⁴ Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings.

⁵ But to Cain and his offerings he had no respect: and Cain was exceeding angry, and his countenance fell.

⁶ And the Lord said to him: Why art thou angry? and why is thy countenance fallen?

⁷ If thou do well, shalt thou not receive? but if ill, shall not sin forthwith be present at the door? but the lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it.

⁸ And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him.

⁹ And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered: I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?

¹⁰ And he said to him: What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth to me from the earth.

¹¹ Now, therefore, cursed shalt thou be upon the earth, which hath opened her mouth and received the blood of thy brother at thy hand.

¹² When thou shalt till it, it shall not yield to thee its fruit: a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be upon the earth.

¹³ And Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is greater than that I may deserve pardon.

¹⁴ Behold thou dost cast me out this day from the face of the earth, and from thy face I shall be hid, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive on the earth: every one, therefore, that findeth me, shall kill me.

¹⁵ And the Lord said to him: No, it shall not so be: but whosoever shall kill Cain, shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, that whosoever found him should not kill him.

¹⁶ And Cain went out from the face of the Lord, and dwelt as a fugitive on the earth at the east side of Eden.

¹⁷ And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and brought forth Henoch: and he built a city, and called the name thereof by the name of his son Henoch.

¹⁸ And Henoch begot Irad, and Irad begot Maviael, and Maviael begot Mathusael, and Mathusael begot Lamech,

¹⁹ Who took two wives: the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the other Sella.

²⁰ And Ada brought forth Jabel: who was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of herdsmen.

²¹ And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of them that play upon the harp and the organs.

²² Sella also brought forth Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artificer in every work of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.

²³ And Lamech said to his wives Ada and Sella: Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, hearken to my speech: for I have slain a man to the wounding of myself, and a stripling to my own bruising.

²⁴ Sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for Cain: but for Lamech seventy times sevenfold.

²⁵ Adam also knew his wife again: and she brought forth a son, and called his name Seth, saying: God hath given me another seed for Abel, whom Cain slew.

²⁶ But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos: this man began to call upon the name of the Lord.