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Genesis 4:1-16
New American Standard Bible
Genesis 4:1-16
New American Standard Bible
Cain and Abel
4 Now the man [a]had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a male child with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now (A)Abel was (B)a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground. 3 So it came about [b]in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. 4 (C)Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And (D)the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; 5 but (E)for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So (F)Cain became very angry and his face [c]was gloomy. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “(G)Why are you angry? And why is your face [d]gloomy? 7 (H)If you do well, [e]will your face not be [f]cheerful? (I)And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, (J)but you must master it.” 8 Cain [g]talked to his brother Abel; and it happened that when they were in the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and (K)killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “(L)Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 Then He said, “What have you done? (M)The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 Now (N)you are cursed 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 wanderer and a drifter on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure! 14 Behold, You have (Q)driven me this day from the face of the ground; and I will be hidden from Your face, and (R)I will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth, and (S)whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him (T)seven times as much.” And the Lord [h](U)placed a mark on Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him.
16 Then Cain left the presence (V)of the Lord, and [i]settled in the land of [j]Nod, east of Eden.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 4:1 Lit knew his
- Genesis 4:3 Lit at the end of days
- Genesis 4:5 Lit fell
- Genesis 4:6 Lit fallen
- Genesis 4:7 Or you will certainly be accepted
- Genesis 4:7 Lit lifted up
- Genesis 4:8 Lit said to
- Genesis 4:15 Or set a sign for
- Genesis 4:16 Lit dwelt
- Genesis 4:16 I.e., wandering
Genesis 4:1-16
New International Version
Genesis 4:1-16
New International Version
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)
Footnotes
- Genesis 4:1 Or The man
- Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired.
- Genesis 4:1 Or have acquired
- Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.”
- Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
- Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).
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