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)

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)

3 See what great love^(A) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!^(B) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.^{(C) 2} Dear friends,^(D) now we are children of God,^(E) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](F) we shall be like him,^(G) for we shall see him as he is.^{(H) 3} All who have this hope in him purify themselves,^(I) just as he is pure.^(J)

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.^{(K) 5} But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.^(L) And in him is no sin.^{(M) 6} No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.^(N) No one who continues to sin has either seen him^(O) or known him.^(P)

⁷ Dear children,^(Q) do not let anyone lead you astray.^(R) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.^{(S) 8} The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,^(T) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God^(U) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.^{(V) 9} No one who is born of God^(W) will continue to sin,^(X) because God’s seed^(Y) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God^(Z) are and who the children of the devil^(AA) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love^(AB) their brother and sister.^(AC)

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(AD) from the beginning:^(AE) We should love one another.^{(AF) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(AG) and murdered his brother.^(AH) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^{(AI) 13} Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[b] if the world hates you.^{(AJ) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life,^(AK) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(AL) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(AM) is a murderer,^(AN) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(AO)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(AP) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(AQ) 17} If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(AR) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(AS) 18} Dear children,^(AT) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(AU)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends,^(AV) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God^{(AW) 22} and receive from him anything we ask,^(AX) because we keep his commands^(AY) and do what pleases him.^{(AZ) 23} And this is his command: to believe^(BA) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,^(BB) and to love one another as he commanded us.^{(BC) 24} The one who keeps God’s commands^(BD) lives in him,^(BE) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.^(BF)

¹ Jude,^(A) a servant of Jesus Christ^(B) and a brother of James,

To those who have been called,^(C) who are loved in God the Father and kept for^[a] Jesus Christ:^(D)

² Mercy, peace^(E) and love be yours in abundance.^(F)

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

³ Dear friends,^(G) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,^(H) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend^(I) for the faith^(J) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.^{(K) 4} For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about^[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you.^(L) They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.^(M)

⁵ Though you already know all this,^(N) I want to remind you^(O) that the Lord^[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.^{(P) 6} And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.^{(Q) 7} In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah^(R) and the surrounding towns^(S) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.^(T)

⁸ In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.^{(U) 9} But even the archangel^(V) Michael,^(W) when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses,^(X) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”^{[d](Y) 10} Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.^(Z)

¹¹ Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;^(AA) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;^(AB) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.^(AC)

¹² These people are blemishes at your love feasts,^(AD) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.^(AE) They are clouds without rain,^(AF) blown along by the wind;^(AG) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted^(AH)—twice dead. ¹³ They are wild waves of the sea,^(AI) foaming up their shame;^(AJ) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.^(AK)

¹⁴ Enoch,^(AL) the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming^(AM) with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones^{(AN) 15} to judge^(AO) everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”^{[e](AP) 16} These people are grumblers^(AQ) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires;^(AR) they boast^(AS) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

A Call to Persevere

¹⁷ But, dear friends, remember what the apostles^(AT) of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.^{(AU) 18} They said to you, “In the last times^(AV) there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”^{(AW) 19} These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.^(AX)

²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up^(AY) in your most holy faith^(AZ) and praying in the Holy Spirit,^{(BA) 21} keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait^(BB) for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.^(BC)

²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire;^(BD) to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.^[f](BE)

Doxology

²⁴ To him who is able^(BF) to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence^(BG) without fault^(BH) and with great joy— ²⁵ to the only God^(BI) our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!^(BJ) Amen.^(BK)