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Then Cain [a]spoke to Abel his brother; and it happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and (A)killed him.

Then Yahweh said to Cain, “(B)Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And He said, “What have you done? (C)The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 And now, (D)cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 (E)When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; (F)you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 And Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is too great to bear! 14 Behold, You have (G)driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and (H)I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will be that (I)whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 So Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him (J)sevenfold.” And Yahweh [b](K)appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one who found him would strike him.

16 Then Cain went out from the presence (L)of Yahweh and [c]settled in the land of [d]Nod, east of Eden.

17 Then Cain [e]knew his wife, and she conceived and [f]gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. 18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad [g]was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael [h]was the father of Methushael, and Methushael [i]was the father of Lamech. 19 And Lamech took for himself (M)two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. 20 And Adah [j]gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock. 21 And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 As for Zillah, she also [k]gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 And Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah,
Hear my voice,
You wives of Lamech,
Give ear to my word,
(N)For I [l]have killed a man for [m]striking me;
And a boy for wounding me;
24 If Cain is avenged (O)sevenfold,
Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

25 (P)Then Adam [n]knew his wife again; and she [o]gave birth to a son and named him [p]Seth, for she said, “God [q]has set for me another [r]seed in place of Abel, (Q)for Cain killed him.” 26 And to Seth, to him also, (R)a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began (S)to call [s]upon the name of Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:8 Lit said; ancient versions add let us go into the field
  2. Genesis 4:15 Or set a mark on
  3. Genesis 4:16 Lit dwelt
  4. Genesis 4:16 Wandering
  5. Genesis 4:17 Or had relations
  6. Genesis 4:17 Or bore Enoch, cf. 3:16
  7. Genesis 4:18 Lit begot
  8. Genesis 4:18 Lit begot
  9. Genesis 4:18 Lit begot
  10. Genesis 4:20 Or bore Jabal, cf. 3:16
  11. Genesis 4:22 Or bore Tubal-cain, cf. 3:16
  12. Genesis 4:23 Or kill
  13. Genesis 4:23 Or bruising, cf. Ex 21:25
  14. Genesis 4:25 Or had relations
  15. Genesis 4:25 Or bore
  16. Genesis 4:25 Heb Sheth
  17. Genesis 4:25 Heb shath
  18. Genesis 4:25 Or offspring
  19. Genesis 4:26 Or by

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

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

“I don’t know,(C)” 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.(D) 11 Now you are under a curse(E) 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.(F) You will be a restless wanderer(G) on the earth.(H)

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;(I) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,(J) and whoever finds me will kill me.”(K)

15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so[b]; anyone who kills Cain(L) will suffer vengeance(M) seven times over.(N)” 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(O) and lived in the land of Nod,[c] east of Eden.(P)

17 Cain made love to his wife,(Q) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city,(R) and he named it after his son(S) 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(T) two women,(U) 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(V) and pipes.(W) 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged(X) all kinds of tools out of[d] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed(Y) a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged(Z) seven times,(AA)
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.(AB)

25 Adam made love to his wife(AC) again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[e](AD) saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”(AE) 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.(AF)

At that time people began to call on[f] the name of the Lord.(AG)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.”
  2. Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
  3. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).
  4. Genesis 4:22 Or who instructed all who work in
  5. Genesis 4:25 Seth probably means granted.
  6. Genesis 4:26 Or to proclaim

By faith (A)Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he (B)was approved as being righteous—God approving [a]his (C)gifts—and through [b]faith, though (D)he is dead, he still speaks.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 11:4 By receiving his gifts
  2. Hebrews 11:4 Lit it

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended(A) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.(B) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.(C)

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