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Genesis 4
New American Standard Bible

Cain and Abel

4 Now the man [a]had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a male child with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now (A)Abel was (B)a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground. 3 So it came about [b]in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. 4 (C)Abel, on his part also brought an offering, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions. And (D)the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; 5 but (E)for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So (F)Cain became very angry and his face [c]was gloomy. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “(G)Why are you angry? And why is your face [d]gloomy? 7 (H)If you do well, [e]will your face not be [f]cheerful? (I)And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, (J)but you must master it.” 8 Cain [g]talked to his brother Abel; and it happened that when they were in the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and (K)killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “(L)Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 Then He said, “What have you done? (M)The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 Now (N)you are cursed 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 wanderer and a drifter on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure! 14 Behold, You have (Q)driven me this day from the face of the ground; and I will be hidden from Your face, and (R)I will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth, and (S)whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him (T)seven times as much.” And the Lord [h](U)placed a mark on Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him.

16 Then Cain left the presence (V)of the Lord, and [i]settled in the land of [j]Nod, east of Eden.

17 Cain [k]had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city, and named the city Enoch, after the name of his son. 18 Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 Lamech took (W)two wives for himself: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and flute. 22 As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah,
Listen to my voice,
You wives of Lamech,
Pay attention to my words,
(X)For I have killed a man for wounding me;
And a boy for striking me!
24 If Cain is avenged (Y)seven times,
Then Lamech seventy-seven times!”

25 (Z)Adam [l]had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him [m]Seth, for, she said, “God [n]has appointed me another [o]child in place of Abel, (AA)because Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also (AB)a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then people began (AC)to call [p]upon the name of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:1 Lit knew his
  2. Genesis 4:3 Lit at the end of days
  3. Genesis 4:5 Lit fell
  4. Genesis 4:6 Lit fallen
  5. Genesis 4:7 Or you will certainly be accepted
  6. Genesis 4:7 Lit lifted up
  7. Genesis 4:8 Lit said to
  8. Genesis 4:15 Or set a sign for
  9. Genesis 4:16 Lit dwelt
  10. Genesis 4:16 I.e., wandering
  11. Genesis 4:17 Lit knew his
  12. Genesis 4:25 Lit knew his
  13. Genesis 4:25 Heb Sheth
  14. Genesis 4:25 Heb shath
  15. Genesis 4:25 Lit seed
  16. Genesis 4:26 Or by
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Genesis 4
New International Version

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,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed(AL) a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged(AM) seven times,(AN)
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.(AO)”

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)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:1 Or The man
  2. Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired.
  3. Genesis 4:1 Or have acquired
  4. Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.”
  5. Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
  6. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).
  7. Genesis 4:22 Or who instructed all who work in
  8. Genesis 4:25 Seth probably means granted.
  9. Genesis 4:26 Or to proclaim
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Genesis 4
Evangelical Heritage Version

The First Children: Cain and Abel

4 The man was intimate with Eve, his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten a man with the Lord.”[a] 2 She also gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel.

Abel tended sheep, but Cain worked the ground. 3 As time passed, one day Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil. 4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his offering, 5 but he did not look favorably on Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his face showed it.

6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you have that angry look on your face?[b] 7 If you do good, will you not be lifted up? If you do not do good, sin is crouching at the door. It has a strong desire for you, but you must rule over it.”

8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.”[c] When they were in the field, Cain attacked Abel, his brother, and killed him.

9 The Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?”

He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the soil. 11 Now you are cursed and sent away from the soil[d] which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the soil, it will no longer give its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear. 14 Look, today you have driven me away from the soil. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. And whoever finds me will kill me.”

15 The Lord said to him, “No![e] If anyone kills Cain, he will face sevenfold revenge.” And the Lord appointed a sign for[f] Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down.

The Descendants of Cain

16 Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,[g] east of Eden.

17 Cain was intimate with his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and named the city after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch, Irad was born. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the predecessor[h] of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the predecessor of all who play the lyre and flute. 22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools and weapons from bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Na’amah.

23 Lamech said to his wives:

Adah and Zillah, hear my voice.
You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.
Look, I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for bruising me.
24 If Cain will be avenged seven times,
then Lamech will be avenged seventy-seven times.

The Family Line of Seth

25 Adam was intimate with his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[i] because she said, “God has set another child in place of Abel for me, since Cain killed him.” 26 Later a son was born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. This is when people began to proclaim[j] the name of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:1 Or, following Luther’s translation, I have gotten a man, the Lord. The Jerusalem Targum reads I have acquired a man, the Angel of the Lord. Cain means get or acquire.
  2. Genesis 4:6 Literally why has your face fallen
  3. Genesis 4:8 The words let’s go into the field, which are missing from the Hebrew text, are supplied from the ancient versions.
  4. Genesis 4:11 Here and in verse 14 the Hebrew word adamah, which can be translated ground or land, refers to the soil that Cain worked.
  5. Genesis 4:15 The translation no is supported by the ancient versions. The Hebrew reads very well then.
  6. Genesis 4:15 Or placed a mark on
  7. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering.
  8. Genesis 4:20 Literally father, that is, the founder of this way of life
  9. Genesis 4:25 Seth sounds like the Hebrew word for set or place.
  10. Genesis 4:26 Or call on
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创世记 4
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

该隐和亚伯

4 亚当和他妻子夏娃同房，夏娃便怀孕，生了该隐。她说：“耶和华让我得了一个男孩。” 2 后来，夏娃又生了该隐的弟弟亚伯。长大后，亚伯做了牧羊人，该隐做了农夫。

3 到了收成的时候，该隐把地里的出产当祭物献给耶和华， 4 亚伯也把羊群中头生的羊及其最肥美的部分献给耶和华。耶和华悦纳亚伯和他的祭物， 5 却不悦纳该隐和他的祭物。该隐便非常恼火，面带怒容。 6 耶和华问该隐：“你为什么恼火？为什么面带怒容？ 7 如果你做得对，难道不会蒙悦纳吗？如果你做得不对，罪就蹲在你的门口要控制你，但你必须制服罪。”

8 该隐对弟弟亚伯说：“我们去田间吧！”[a]他们在田间的时候，该隐动手打亚伯，把他杀了。

9 后来，耶和华问该隐：“你弟弟亚伯在哪里？”他说：“我不知道！难道我是弟弟的看护人吗？” 10 耶和华说：“你做了什么事？你弟弟的血从地里向我哭诉。 11 地张开口从你手上接受了你弟弟的血，你在地上必受咒诅。 12 你种地，地却不会再为你长出任何东西，你必在地上四处漂泊。” 13 该隐对耶和华说：“这惩罚太重！我承受不了。 14 今天你把我赶出去，使我不能再见你的面。我在地上四处漂泊，见到我的人都会杀我。” 15 耶和华对他说：“不会的，因为凡杀你的，必遭受七倍的报应。”于是，耶和华在该隐身上留下一个记号，免得见到他的人杀他。 16 该隐离开耶和华，来到伊甸东边的挪得住下来。

该隐的后代

17 该隐和妻子同房，他的妻子就怀孕，生了以诺。该隐建了一座城，用他儿子的名字给这城取名叫以诺。 18 以诺生以拿，以拿生米户雅利，米户雅利生玛土撒利，玛土撒利生拉麦。 19 拉麦娶了两个妻子，一个叫亚大，另一个叫洗拉。 20 亚大生了亚八，亚八是游牧民族的祖先， 21 亚八的弟弟犹八是吹奏乐器之人的鼻祖。 22 洗拉生了土八·该隐，他是打造各种铜铁器具的匠人[b]，他的妹妹叫拿玛。

23 一天，拉麦对他的两个妻子说：

“亚大，洗拉，你们听我的声音；
拉麦的妻子啊，侧耳听我的话，
有人伤我，我杀了他，
青年打我，我宰了他。
24 杀该隐的遭受七倍的报应，
杀拉麦的遭受七十七倍的报应。”

塞特和以挪士

25 亚当又与妻子夏娃同房，夏娃生了一个儿子，取名叫塞特，因为她说：“上帝赐我另一个儿子来代替亚伯，因为该隐杀了他。” 26 塞特生了一个儿子，给他取名叫以挪士。那时候，人才开始求告耶和华。

Footnotes

  1. 4:8 “我们去田间吧！”参照七十士译本，希伯来文无此句。
  2. 4:22 “他是打造各种铜铁器具的匠人”或译“他是铜匠、铁匠的祖先”。
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