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)

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,

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)

From Adam to Noah

5 This is the written account^(AU) of Adam’s family line.^(AV)

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.^{(AW) 2} He created them^(AX) male and female^(AY) and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”^[j] when they were created.

³ When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;^(AZ) and he named him Seth.^{(BA) 4} After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.^(BB)

⁶ When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father^[k] of Enosh.^{(BC) 7} After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁸ Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

⁹ When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.^{(BD) 10} After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

¹² When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.^{(BE) 13} After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.^{(BF) 16} After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

¹⁸ When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.^{(BG) 19} After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.^{(BH) 22} After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God^(BI) 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God;^(BJ) then he was no more, because God took him away.^(BK)

²⁵ When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.^{(BL) 26} After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷ Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

²⁸ When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah^[l](BM) and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.^(BN)” ³⁰ After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. ³¹ Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

³² After Noah was 500 years old,^(BO) he became the father of Shem,^(BP) Ham and Japheth.^(BQ)

Wickedness in the World

6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth^(BR) and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God^(BS) saw that the daughters^(BT) of humans were beautiful,^(BU) and they married^(BV) any of them they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit^(BW) will not contend with^[m] humans forever,^(BX) for they are mortal^[n];^(BY) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

⁴ The Nephilim^(BZ) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans^(CA) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.^(CB)

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(CC) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^{(CD) 6} The Lord regretted^(CE) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth^(CF) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.^(CG)” ⁸ But Noah^(CH) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.^(CI)

Noah and the Flood

⁹ This is the account^(CJ) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless^(CK) among the people of his time,^(CL) and he walked faithfully with God.^{(CM) 10} Noah had three sons: Shem,^(CN) Ham and Japheth.^(CO)

¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt^(CP) in God’s sight and was full of violence.^{(CQ) 12} God saw how corrupt^(CR) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.^{(CS) 13} So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy^(CT) both them and the earth.^{(CU) 14} So make yourself an ark of cypress^[o] wood;^(CV) make rooms in it and coat it with pitch^(CW) inside and out. ¹⁵ This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.^{[p] 16} Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit^[q] high all around.^[r] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁷ I am going to bring floodwaters^(CX) on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.^{(CY) 18} But I will establish my covenant with you,^(CZ) and you will enter the ark^(DA)—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.^{(DB) 20} Two^(DC) of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind^(DD) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.^{(DE) 21} You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

²² Noah did everything just as God commanded him.^(DF)

7 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family,^(DG) because I have found you righteous^(DH) in this generation. ² Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean^(DI) animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, ³ and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive^(DJ) throughout the earth. ⁴ Seven days from now I will send rain^(DK) on the earth^(DL) for forty days^(DM) and forty nights,^(DN) and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.^(DO)”

⁵ And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.^(DP)

⁶ Noah was six hundred years old^(DQ) when the floodwaters came on the earth. ⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark^(DR) to escape the waters of the flood. ⁸ Pairs of clean and unclean^(DS) animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, ⁹ male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.^{(DT) 10} And after the seven days^(DU) the floodwaters came on the earth.

¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life,^(DV) on the seventeenth day of the second month^(DW)—on that day all the springs of the great deep^(DX) burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens^(DY) were opened. ¹² And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.^(DZ)

¹³ On that very day Noah and his sons,^(EA) Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.^{(EB) 14} They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind,^(EC) everything with wings. ¹⁵ Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.^{(ED) 16} The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah.^(EE) Then the Lord shut him in.

¹⁷ For forty days^(EF) the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. ¹⁸ The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. ¹⁹ They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.^{(EG) 20} The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.^{[s][t] (EH) 21} Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.^{(EI) 22} Everything on dry land that had the breath of life^(EJ) in its nostrils died. ²³ Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth.^(EK) Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.^(EL)

²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.^(EM)

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language^(A) and a common speech. ² As people moved eastward,^[a] they found a plain in Shinar^[b](B) and settled there.

³ They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks^(C) and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone,^(D) and tar^(E) for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens,^(F) so that we may make a name^(G) for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered^(H) over the face of the whole earth.”^(I)

⁵ But the Lord came down^(J) to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶ The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language^(K) they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us^(L) go down^(M) and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”^(N)

⁸ So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth,^(O) and they stopped building the city. ⁹ That is why it was called Babel^[c](P)—because there the Lord confused the language^(Q) of the whole world.^(R) From there the Lord scattered^(S) them over the face of the whole earth.

From Shem to Abram^(T)

¹⁰ This is the account^(U) of Shem’s family line.

Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father^[d] of Arphaxad.^{(V) 11} And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹² When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah.^{(W) 13} And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.^[e]

¹⁴ When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber.^{(X) 15} And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁶ When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg.^{(Y) 17} And after he became the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

¹⁸ When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu.^{(Z) 19} And after he became the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁰ When Reu had lived 32 years, he became the father of Serug.^{(AA) 21} And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

²² When Serug had lived 30 years, he became the father of Nahor.^{(AB) 23} And after he became the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁴ When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah.^{(AC) 25} And after he became the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁶ After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram,^(AD) Nahor^(AE) and Haran.^(AF)

Abram’s Family

²⁷ This is the account^(AG) of Terah’s family line.

Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor^(AH) and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.^{(AI) 28} While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans,^(AJ) in the land of his birth. ²⁹ Abram and Nahor^(AK) both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai,^(AL) and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah;^(AM) she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. ³⁰ Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.^(AN)

³¹ Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot^(AO) son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law^(AP) Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans^(AQ) to go to Canaan.^(AR) But when they came to Harran,^(AS) they settled there.

³² Terah^(AT) lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.

Faith in Action

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for^(A) and assurance about what we do not see.^{(B) 2} This is what the ancients were commended for.^(C)

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,^(D) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(E) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(F) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(G)

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[a](H) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(I) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(J) in holy fear built an ark^(K) to save his family.^(L) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(M)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(N) obeyed and went,^(O) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(P) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(Q) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(R) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(S) with foundations,^(T) whose architect and builder is God.^{(U) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(V) was enabled to bear children^(W) because she^[b] considered him faithful^(X) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(Y) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(Z)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(AA) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(AB) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(AC) 14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.^{(AD) 16} Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(AE) Therefore God is not ashamed^(AF) to be called their God,^(AG) for he has prepared a city^(AH) for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(AI) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[c](AJ) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(AK) and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.^(AL)

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,^(AM) and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.^(AN)

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,^(AO) because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.^(AP)

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(AQ) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(AR) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(AS) for the sake of Christ^(AT) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(AU) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(AV) not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer^(AW) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(AX)

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.^(AY)

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.^(AZ)

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[d](BA)

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(BB) Barak,^(BC) Samson^(BD) and Jephthah,^(BE) about David^(BF) and Samuel^(BG) and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(BH) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^{(BI) 34} quenched the fury of the flames,^(BJ) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(BK) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(BL) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^{(BM) 35} Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(BN) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging,^(BO) and even chains and imprisonment.^{(BP) 37} They were put to death by stoning;^[e](BQ) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(BR) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(BS) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(BT) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended^(BU) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^{(BV) 40} since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(BW) would they be made perfect.^(BX)