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)

Psalm 4^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

Introduction^(A)

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled^[a] among us, ² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first^(B) were eyewitnesses^(C) and servants of the word.^{(D) 3} With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account^(E) for you, most excellent^(F) Theophilus,^{(G) 4} so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.^(H)

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea^(I) there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah;^(J) his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.^{(K) 7} But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸ Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,^{(L) 9} he was chosen by lot,^(M) according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.^{(N) 10} And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.^(O)

¹¹ Then an angel^(P) of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.^{(Q) 12} When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear.^{(R) 13} But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,^(S) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.^{(T) 14} He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,^{(U) 15} for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,^(V) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit^(W) even before he is born.^{(X) 16} He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord,^(Y) in the spirit and power of Elijah,^(Z) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children^(AA) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”^(AB)

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^(AC) I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”^(AD)

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel.^(AE) I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak^(AF) until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs^(AG) to them but remained unable to speak.

²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace^(AH) among the people.”