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Genesis 4
Legacy Standard Bible

Cain and Abel

4 Now the man [a]knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and [b]gave birth to [c]Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a [d]man with the help of Yahweh.” 2 And again, she [e]gave birth to his brother Abel. (A)Abel was (B)a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground. 3 So it happened [f]in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground. 4 (C)Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And (D)Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but (E)for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So (F)Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 Then Yahweh said to Cain, “(G)Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 (H)If you do well, [g]will not your countenance be lifted up? (I)And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door; and its desire is for you, (J)but you must rule over it.” 8 Then Cain [h]spoke to Abel his brother; and it happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and (K)killed him.

9 Then Yahweh said to Cain, “(L)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? (M)The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 And now, (N)cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 (O)When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; (P)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 (Q)driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and (R)I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will be that (S)whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 So Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him (T)sevenfold.” And Yahweh [i](U)appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one who found him would strike him.

16 Then Cain went out from the presence (V)of Yahweh and [j]settled in the land of [k]Nod, east of Eden.

17 Then Cain [l]knew his wife, and she conceived and [m]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 [n]was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael [o]was the father of Methushael, and Methushael [p]was the father of Lamech. 19 And Lamech took for himself (W)two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. 20 And Adah [q]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 [r]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,
(X)For I [s]have killed a man for [t]striking me;
And a boy for wounding me;
24 If Cain is avenged (Y)sevenfold,
Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”

25 (Z)Then Adam [u]knew his wife again; and she [v]gave birth to a son and named him [w]Seth, for she said, “God [x]has set for me another [y]seed in place of Abel, (AA)for Cain killed him.” 26 And to Seth, to him also, (AB)a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began (AC)to call [z]upon the name of Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:1 Or had relations with
  2. Genesis 4:1 Or bore Cain, cf. 3:16
  3. Genesis 4:1 Lit gotten one
  4. Genesis 4:1 Or man, Yahweh
  5. Genesis 4:2 Or bore his brother Abel, cf. 3:16
  6. Genesis 4:3 Lit at the end of days
  7. Genesis 4:7 Or surely you will be accepted.
  8. Genesis 4:8 Lit said; ancient versions add let us go into the field
  9. Genesis 4:15 Or set a mark on
  10. Genesis 4:16 Lit dwelt
  11. Genesis 4:16 Wandering
  12. Genesis 4:17 Or had relations
  13. Genesis 4:17 Or bore Enoch, cf. 3:16
  14. Genesis 4:18 Lit begot
  15. Genesis 4:18 Lit begot
  16. Genesis 4:18 Lit begot
  17. Genesis 4:20 Or bore Jabal, cf. 3:16
  18. Genesis 4:22 Or bore Tubal-cain, cf. 3:16
  19. Genesis 4:23 Or kill
  20. Genesis 4:23 Or bruising, cf. Ex 21:25
  21. Genesis 4:25 Or had relations
  22. Genesis 4:25 Or bore
  23. Genesis 4:25 Heb Sheth
  24. Genesis 4:25 Heb shath
  25. Genesis 4:25 Or offspring
  26. Genesis 4:26 Or by
Close NLT

Genesis 4
New Living Translation

Cain and Abel

4 Now Adam[a] had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced[b] a man!” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel.

When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.

6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

8 One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”[c] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

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

“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment[d] is too great for me to bear! 14 You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!”

15 The Lord replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. 16 So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod,[e] east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

17 Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad became the father of[f] Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. 22 Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah. 23 One day Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
    listen to me, you wives of Lamech.
I have killed a man who attacked me,
    a young man who wounded me.
24 If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times,
    then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!”

The Birth of Seth

25 Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth,[g] for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the Lord by name.

Footnotes

  1. 4:1a Or the man; also in 4:25.
  2. 4:1b Or I have acquired. Cain sounds like a Hebrew term that can mean “produce” or “acquire.”
  3. 4:8 As in Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek and Syriac versions, and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text lacks “Let’s go out into the fields.”
  4. 4:13 Or My sin.
  5. 4:16 Nod means “wandering.”
  6. 4:18 Or the ancestor of, and so throughout the verse.
  7. 4:25 Seth probably means “granted”; the name may also mean “appointed.”
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New Living Translation (NLT)

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