Font Size
Genesis 2:4-4:26
Common English Bible
Genesis 2:4-4:26
Common English Bible
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
World’s creation in the garden
On the day the Lord God made earth and sky— 5 before any wild plants appeared on the earth, and before any field crops grew, because the Lord God hadn’t yet sent rain on the earth and there was still no human being[a] to farm the fertile land, 6 though a stream rose from the earth and watered all of the fertile land— 7 the Lord God formed the human[b] from the topsoil of the fertile land[c] and blew life’s breath into his nostrils. The human came to life. 8 The Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east and put there the human he had formed. 9 In the fertile land, the Lord God grew every beautiful tree with edible fruit, and also he grew the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first river is the Pishon. It flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 That land’s gold is pure, and the land also has sweet-smelling resins and gemstones. [d] 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It flows around the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris, flowing east of Assyria; and the name of the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The Lord God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. 16 The Lord God commanded the human, “Eat your fill from all of the garden’s trees; 17 but don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!” 18 Then the Lord God said, “It’s not good that the human is alone. I will make him a helper that is perfect for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed from the fertile land all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky and brought them to the human to see what he would name them. The human gave each living being its name. 20 The human named all the livestock, all the birds in the sky, and all the wild animals. But a helper perfect for him was nowhere to be found.
21 So the Lord God put the human into a deep and heavy sleep, and took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh over it. 22 With the rib taken from the human, the Lord God fashioned a woman and brought her to the human being. 23 The human[e] said,
“This one finally is bone from my bones
and flesh from my flesh.
She will be called a woman[f]
because from a man[g] she was taken.”
24 This is the reason that a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 The two of them were naked, the man and his wife, but they weren’t embarrassed.
Knowledge, not eternal life
3 The snake was the most intelligent[h] of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?”
2 The woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit of the garden’s trees 3 but not the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it, or you will die.’”
4 The snake said to the woman, “You won’t die! 5 God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 The woman saw that the tree was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then they both saw clearly and knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made garments for themselves.
8 During that day’s cool evening breeze, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God in the middle of the garden’s trees. 9 The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 The man[i] replied, “I heard your sound in the garden; I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree, which I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man said, “The woman you gave me, she gave me some fruit[j] from the tree, and I ate.”
13 The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?!”
And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”
14 The Lord God said to the snake,
“Because you did this,
you are the one cursed
out of all the farm animals,
out of all the wild animals.
On your belly you will crawl,
and dust you will eat
every day of your life.
15 I will put contempt
between you and the woman,
between your offspring and hers.
They will strike your head,
but you will strike at their heels.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will make your pregnancy very painful;
in pain you will bear children.
You will desire your husband,
but he will rule over you.”
17 To the man he said, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and you ate from the tree that I commanded, ‘Don’t eat from it,’
cursed is the fertile land because of you;
in pain you will eat from it
every day of your life.
18 Weeds and thistles will grow for you,
even as you eat the field’s plants;
19 by the sweat of your face you will eat bread—
until you return to the fertile land,
since from it you were taken;
you are soil,
to the soil you will return.”
20 The man named his wife Eve[k] because she is the mother of everyone who lives. 21 The Lord God made the man and his wife leather clothes and dressed them. 22 The Lord God said, “The human being[l] has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” Now, so he doesn’t stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever, 23 the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to farm the fertile land from which he was taken. 24 He drove out the human. To the east of the garden of Eden, he stationed winged creatures wielding flaming swords to guard the way to the tree of life.
Cain and Abel
4 The man Adam knew his wife Eve intimately. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have given life to[m] a man with the Lord’s help.” 2 She gave birth a second time to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel cared for the flocks, and Cain farmed the fertile land.
3 Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the Lord from the land’s crops 4 while Abel presented his flock’s oldest offspring with their fat. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice 5 but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice. Cain became very angry and looked resentful. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look so resentful? 7 If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[n] When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s guardian?”
10 The Lord said, “What did you do? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 You are now cursed from the ground that opened its mouth to take your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you farm the fertile land, it will no longer grow anything for you, and you will become a roving nomad on the earth.”
13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Now that you’ve driven me away from the fertile land and I am hidden from your presence, I’m about to become a roving nomad on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 The Lord said to him, “It won’t happen;[o] anyone who kills Cain will be paid back seven times.” The Lord put a sign on Cain so that no one who found him would assault him. 16 Cain left the Lord’s presence, and he settled down in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Cain’s descendants
17 Cain knew his wife intimately. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and named the city after his son Enoch.
18 Irad was born to Enoch. Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 Lamech took two wives, the first named Adah and the second Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and own livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of those who play stringed and wind instruments. 22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the ancestor of[p] blacksmiths and all artisans of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice;
wives of Lamech, pay attention to my words:
I killed a man for wounding me,
a boy for striking me;
24 so Cain will be paid back seven times
and Lamech seventy-seven times.”
25 Adam knew his wife intimately again, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Seth[q] “because God has given me another child in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 Seth also fathered a son and named him Enosh. At that time, people began to worship in the Lord’s name.
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:5 Or man (Heb adam)
- Genesis 2:7 Heb adam
- Genesis 2:7 Heb adamah
- Genesis 2:12 Heb uncertain
- Genesis 2:23 Or man (Heb adam)
- Genesis 2:23 Or wife (Heb ishshah)
- Genesis 2:23 Or husband (Heb ish)
- Genesis 3:1 Heb sounds like naked.
- Genesis 3:10 Or He
- Genesis 3:12 Heb lacks some fruit.
- Genesis 3:20 Heb sounds like live.
- Genesis 3:22 Or man (Heb adam)
- Genesis 4:1 Or created; Heb sounds similar to Cain.
- Genesis 4:8 LXX, Syr, Vulg, Sam; MT lacks Let’s go out to the field.
- Genesis 4:15 LXX, Syr, Vulg; MT therefore
- Genesis 4:22 Heb lacks the ancestor of.
- Genesis 4:25 Sounds like the Heb verb gave
Genesis 2:4-4:26
New International Version
Genesis 2:4-4:26
New International Version
Adam and Eve
4 This is the account(A) of the heavens and the earth when they were created,(B) when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth[a] and no plant had yet sprung up,(C) for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth(D) and there was no one to work the ground, 6 but streams[b] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the Lord God formed(E) a man[c](F) from the dust(G) of the ground(H) and breathed into his nostrils the breath(I) of life,(J) and the man became a living being.(K)
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden;(L) and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees(M) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life(N) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.(O)
10 A river(P) watering the garden flowed from Eden;(Q) from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah,(R) where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin[d](S) and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush.[e] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris;(T) it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.(U)
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden(V) to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;(W) 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,(X) for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”(Y)
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”(Z)
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals(AA) and all the birds in the sky.(AB) He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called(AC) each living creature,(AD) that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But for Adam[f] no suitable helper(AE) was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep;(AF) and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs[g] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[h](AG) he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;(AH)
she shall be called(AI) ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.(AJ)”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united(AK) to his wife, and they become one flesh.(AL)
25 Adam and his wife were both naked,(AM) and they felt no shame.
The Fall
3 Now the serpent(AN) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?(AO)”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,(AP) 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”(AQ)
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.(AR) 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,(AS) knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable(AT) for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,(AU) who was with her, and he ate it.(AV) 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;(AW) so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.(AX)
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking(AY) in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid(AZ) from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”(BA)
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid(BB) because I was naked;(BC) so I hid.”
11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked?(BD) Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?(BE)”
12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me(BF)—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me,(BG) and I ate.”
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,
“Cursed(BH) are you above all livestock
and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust(BI)
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[i](BJ) and hers;(BK)
he will crush[j] your head,(BL)
and you will strike his heel.”
16 To the woman he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
with painful labor you will give birth to children.(BM)
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.(BN)”
17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’(BO)
“Cursed(BP) is the ground(BQ) because of you;
through painful toil(BR) you will eat food from it
all the days of your life.(BS)
18 It will produce thorns and thistles(BT) for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.(BU)
19 By the sweat of your brow(BV)
you will eat your food(BW)
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return.”(BX)
20 Adam[k] named his wife Eve,[l](BY) because she would become the mother of all the living.
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.(BZ) 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us,(CA) knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life(CB) and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden(CC) to work the ground(CD) from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side[m] of the Garden of Eden(CE) cherubim(CF) and a flaming sword(CG) flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.(CH)
Cain and Abel
4 Adam[n] made love to his wife(CI) Eve,(CJ) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[o](CK) She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[p] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.(CL)
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.(CM) 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering(CN) to the Lord.(CO) 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions(CP) from some of the firstborn of his flock.(CQ) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,(CR) 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?(CS) 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;(CT) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.(CU)”
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[q] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.(CV)
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”(CW)
“I don’t know,(CX)” 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.(CY) 11 Now you are under a curse(CZ) 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.(DA) You will be a restless wanderer(DB) on the earth.(DC)”
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;(DD) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,(DE) and whoever finds me will kill me.”(DF)
15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so[r]; anyone who kills Cain(DG) will suffer vengeance(DH) seven times over.(DI)” 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(DJ) and lived in the land of Nod,[s] east of Eden.(DK)
17 Cain made love to his wife,(DL) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city,(DM) and he named it after his son(DN) 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(DO) two women,(DP) 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(DQ) and pipes.(DR) 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged(DS) all kinds of tools out of[t] 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(DT) a man for wounding me,
a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged(DU) seven times,(DV)
then Lamech seventy-seven times.(DW)”
25 Adam made love to his wife(DX) again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[u](DY) saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”(DZ) 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.(EA)
At that time people began to call on[v] the name of the Lord.(EB)
Footnotes
- Genesis 2:5 Or land; also in verse 6
- Genesis 2:6 Or mist
- Genesis 2:7 The Hebrew for man (adam) sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for ground (adamah); it is also the name Adam (see verse 20).
- Genesis 2:12 Or good; pearls
- Genesis 2:13 Possibly southeast Mesopotamia
- Genesis 2:20 Or the man
- Genesis 2:21 Or took part of the man’s side
- Genesis 2:22 Or part
- Genesis 3:15 Or seed
- Genesis 3:15 Or strike
- Genesis 3:20 Or The man
- Genesis 3:20 Eve probably means living.
- Genesis 3:24 Or placed in front
- 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).
- Genesis 4:22 Or who instructed all who work in
- Genesis 4:25 Seth probably means granted.
- Genesis 4:26 Or to proclaim
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.