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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
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Genesis 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible

Cain Murders Abel

4 Adam was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.”[a] 2 Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord.(A) 4 And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.(B) The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,(C) 5 but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.[b]

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious?(D) And why do you look despondent?[c] 7 If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”(E)

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

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

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

10 Then He said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground!(G) 11 So now you are cursed, alienated, from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed.[e] 12 If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”(H)

13 But Cain answered the Lord, “My punishment[f] is too great to bear! 14 Since You are banishing me today from the soil, and I must hide myself from Your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.”(I)

15 Then the Lord replied to him, “In that case,[g] whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.”[h] And He placed a mark(J) on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

The Line of Cain

17 Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain became the builder of a city, and he named the city Enoch after his son. 18 Irad was born to Enoch, Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 Lamech took two wives for himself, one named Adah and the other named Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of the nomadic herdsmen.[i] 21 His brother was named Jubal; he was the father of all who play the lyre and the flute. 22 Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives:

Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words.
For I killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
24 If Cain is to be avenged seven times over,
then for Lamech it will be seventy-seven times!

25 Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, for she said, “God has given[j] me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.” 26 A son was born to Seth(K) also, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of Yahweh.(L)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:1 Lit the Lord
  2. Genesis 4:5 Lit and his face fell
  3. Genesis 4:6 Lit why has your face fallen
  4. Genesis 4:8 Sam, LXX, Syr, Vg; MT omits Let’s go out to the field
  5. Genesis 4:11 Lit blood from your hand
  6. Genesis 4:13 Or sin
  7. Genesis 4:15 LXX, Syr, Vg read Not so!
  8. Genesis 4:15 Or suffer severely
  9. Genesis 4:20 Lit the dweller of tent and livestock
  10. Genesis 4:25 The Hb word for given sounds like the name “Seth.”
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