Cain and Abel

4 Adam^[a] made love to his wife^(A) Eve,^(B) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.^[b](C) She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth^[c] a man.” ² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.^(D)

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.^{(E) 3} In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering^(F) to the Lord.^{(G) 4} And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions^(H) from some of the firstborn of his flock.^(I) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,^{(J) 5} but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?^(K) Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;^(L) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.^(M)”

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^(N)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”^(O)

“I don’t know,^(P)” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.^{(Q) 11} Now you are under a curse^(R) and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.^(S) You will be a restless wanderer^(T) on the earth.^(U)”

¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence;^(V) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,^(W) and whoever finds me will kill me.”^(X)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Not so^[e]; anyone who kills Cain^(Y) will suffer vengeance^(Z) seven times over.^(AA)” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. ¹⁶ So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence^(AB) and lived in the land of Nod,^[f] east of Eden.^(AC)

¹⁷ Cain made love to his wife,^(AD) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city,^(AE) and he named it after his son^(AF) Enoch. ¹⁸ To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

¹⁹ Lamech married^(AG) two women,^(AH) one named Adah and the other Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments^(AI) and pipes.^{(AJ) 22} Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged^(AK) all kinds of tools out of^[g] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives,

²⁵ Adam made love to his wife^(AP) again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,^[h](AQ) saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”^{(AR) 26} Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.^(AS)

At that time people began to call on^[i] the name of the Lord.^(AT)

From Adam to Noah

5 This is the written account^(AU) of Adam’s family line.^(AV)

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.^{(AW) 2} He created them^(AX) male and female^(AY) and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”^[j] when they were created.

³ When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;^(AZ) and he named him Seth.^{(BA) 4} After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.^(BB)

⁶ When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father^[k] of Enosh.^{(BC) 7} After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁸ Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

⁹ When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.^{(BD) 10} After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

¹² When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.^{(BE) 13} After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.^{(BF) 16} After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

¹⁸ When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.^{(BG) 19} After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.^{(BH) 22} After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God^(BI) 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God;^(BJ) then he was no more, because God took him away.^(BK)

²⁵ When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.^{(BL) 26} After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷ Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

²⁸ When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah^[l](BM) and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.^(BN)” ³⁰ After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. ³¹ Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

³² After Noah was 500 years old,^(BO) he became the father of Shem,^(BP) Ham and Japheth.^(BQ)

Wickedness in the World

6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth^(BR) and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God^(BS) saw that the daughters^(BT) of humans were beautiful,^(BU) and they married^(BV) any of them they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit^(BW) will not contend with^[m] humans forever,^(BX) for they are mortal^[n];^(BY) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

⁴ The Nephilim^(BZ) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans^(CA) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.^(CB)

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(CC) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^{(CD) 6} The Lord regretted^(CE) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth^(CF) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.^(CG)” ⁸ But Noah^(CH) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.^(CI)

Noah and the Flood

⁹ This is the account^(CJ) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless^(CK) among the people of his time,^(CL) and he walked faithfully with God.^{(CM) 10} Noah had three sons: Shem,^(CN) Ham and Japheth.^(CO)

¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt^(CP) in God’s sight and was full of violence.^{(CQ) 12} God saw how corrupt^(CR) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.^{(CS) 13} So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy^(CT) both them and the earth.^{(CU) 14} So make yourself an ark of cypress^[o] wood;^(CV) make rooms in it and coat it with pitch^(CW) inside and out. ¹⁵ This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.^{[p] 16} Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit^[q] high all around.^[r] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁷ I am going to bring floodwaters^(CX) on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.^{(CY) 18} But I will establish my covenant with you,^(CZ) and you will enter the ark^(DA)—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.^{(DB) 20} Two^(DC) of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind^(DD) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.^{(DE) 21} You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

²² Noah did everything just as God commanded him.^(DF)

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 You, therefore, have no excuse,^(A) you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.^{(B) 2} Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³ So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you show contempt for the riches^(C) of his kindness,^(D) forbearance^(E) and patience,^(F) not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?^(G)

⁵ But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath^(H), when his righteous judgment^(I) will be revealed. ⁶ God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”^{[a](J) 7} To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor^(K) and immortality,^(L) he will give eternal life.^{(M) 8} But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,^(N) there will be wrath and anger.^{(O) 9} There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil:^(P) first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;^{(Q) 10} but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.^{(R) 11} For God does not show favoritism.^(S)

¹² All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law^(T) will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey^(U) the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,^(V) they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) ¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets^(W) through Jesus Christ,^(X) as my gospel^(Y) declares.

The Jews and the Law

¹⁷ Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;^{(Z) 18} if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹ if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹ you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?^{(AA) 22} You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?^{(AB) 23} You who boast in the law,^(AC) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴ As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”^[b](AD)

²⁵ Circumcision has value if you observe the law,^(AE) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.^{(AF) 26} So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,^(AG) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?^{(AH) 27} The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you^(AI) who, even though you have the^[c] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

²⁸ A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,^(AJ) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.^{(AK) 29} No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,^(AL) by the Spirit,^(AM) not by the written code.^(AN) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.^(AO)