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,

^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.