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Cain and Abel

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.” 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. So it happened [f]in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground. (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; but (E)for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So (F)Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. Then Yahweh said to Cain, “(G)Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? (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.” 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.

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

L’intrusion de la violence

L’homme s’unit à Eve, sa femme ; elle devint enceinte et donna naissance à Caïn. Elle dit : J’ai formé un homme avec l’aide de l’Eternel.

Elle mit encore au monde le frère de Caïn, Abel. Abel devint berger et Caïn cultivateur.

Au bout d’un certain temps, Caïn présenta des produits de la terre en offrande à l’Eternel. Abel, lui aussi, fit une offrande : il présenta les premiers-nés de son troupeau et en offrit les meilleurs morceaux. L’Eternel prêta attention à Abel et à son offrande[a] ; mais pas à Caïn et son offrande. Cela mit Caïn dans une grande colère, et son visage s’assombrit.

L’Eternel dit à Caïn : Pourquoi es-tu en colère et pourquoi ton visage est-il sombre ? Si tu agis bien, tu le relèveras. Mais si tu n’agis pas bien, le péché est tapi à ta porte : son désir se porte vers toi, mais toi, domine-le !

Mais Caïn dit à son frère Abel : Allons aux champs[b].

Et lorsqu’ils furent dans les champs, Caïn se jeta sur son frère Abel et le tua[c].

Alors l’Eternel demanda à Caïn : Où est ton frère Abel ?

– Je n’en sais rien, répondit-il. Suis-je le gardien de mon frère ?

10 Dieu lui dit : Qu’as-tu fait ? J’entends le sang de ton frère crier vengeance depuis la terre jusqu’à moi. 11 Maintenant, tu es maudit et chassé loin du sol qui a bu le sang de ton frère versé par ta main. 12 Lorsque tu cultiveras le sol, il te refusera désormais ses produits, tu seras errant et fugitif sur la terre.

13 Caïn dit à l’Eternel : Ma faute est trop lourde à porter. 14 Voici que tu me chasses aujourd’hui loin du sol fertile, et je devrai me cacher loin de toi, je serai errant et fugitif sur la terre et si quelqu’un me trouve, il me tuera.

15 L’Eternel lui dit : Eh bien ! Si on tue Caïn, il sera vengé sept fois.

Et l’Eternel marqua Caïn d’un signe pour qu’il ne soit pas tué par qui le rencontrerait.

16 Caïn partit loin de l’Eternel : il alla séjourner au pays de Nod, le pays de l’Errance, à l’orient d’Eden, le pays des Délices.

La lignée de Caïn

17 Caïn s’unit à sa femme, elle devint enceinte et mit au monde Hénok. Caïn bâtissait une ville qu’il appela Hénok, du nom de son fils.

18 Hénok fut l’ancêtre d’Irad, qui eut pour descendants : Mehouyaël, Metoushaël et Lémek.

19 Lémek prit deux femmes pour épouses : l’une s’appelait Ada et l’autre Tsilla. 20 Ada mit au monde Yabal, le père des nomades habitant sous des tentes et au milieu de leurs troupeaux. 21 Il avait pour frère Youbal, le père de tous ceux qui jouent de la lyre et de la flûte. 22 Tsilla, de son côté, mit au monde Toubal-Caïn, qui forgeait tous les instruments de bronze et de fer. La sœur de Toubal-Caïn s’appelait Naama.

23 Lémek dit à ses femmes :

Ada et Tsilla, ╵écoutez-moi bien,
femmes de Lémek, ╵et prêtez l’oreille ╵à ce que je dis :
J’ai tué un homme ╵pour une blessure
et un jeune enfant ╵pour prix de ma plaie.
24 Caïn sera vengé sept fois
et Lémek soixante-dix-sept fois.

25 Adam s’unit encore à sa femme et elle mit au monde un fils qu’elle nomma Seth car, dit-elle, Dieu m’a suscité une autre descendance pour remplacer Abel que Caïn a tué. 26 Seth aussi eut un fils qu’il appela Enosh. C’est à cette époque-là qu’on a commencé à prier l’Eternel.

Footnotes

  1. 4.4 Allusion en Hé 11.4.
  2. 4.8 D’après le Pentateuque samaritain et les versions syriaques ; manque dans le texte hébreu traditionnel.
  3. 4.8 Voir Mt 23.35 ; 1 Jn 3.12.

Cain and Abel

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.” Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.(D)

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.(E) In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering(F) to the Lord.(G) 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) but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?(K) Why is your face downcast? 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)

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)

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,

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

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)

Footnotes

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