Genesis 4
Names of God Bible
Cain Murders Abel
4 Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten the man that Yahweh promised.” 2 Then she gave birth to another child, Abel, Cain’s brother. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer.
3 Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to Yahweh. 4 Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. Yahweh approved of Abel and his offering, 5 but he didn’t approve of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed. 6 Then Yahweh asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed? 7 If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it.”
8 Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Yahweh asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”
10 Yahweh asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the ground, which has received the blood of your brother whom you killed. 12 When you farm the ground, it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth.”
13 But Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is more than I can stand! 14 You have forced me off this land today. I have to hide from you and become a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth. Now anyone who finds me will kill me!”
15 So Yahweh said to him, “Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Yahweh gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him.
16 Then Cain left Yahweh’s presence and lived in Nod [The Land of Wandering], east of Eden.
Cain’s Ten Descendants—Cain to Lamech
17 Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named it Enoch after his son. 18 To Enoch was born Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person to play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubalcain, who made bronze and iron tools. Tubalcain’s sister was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me!
Wives of Lamech, hear what I say!
I killed a man for bruising me,
a young man for wounding me.
24 If Cain is avenged 7 times,
then Lamech, 77 times.”
Adam’s Godly Descendants—Adam to Enosh
25 Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, because she said, “Elohim has given[a] me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
26 A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship Yahweh.
Footnotes
- Genesis 4:25 There is a play on words here between Hebrew sheth (Seth) and shath (given).
Genesis 4
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Cain Murders Abel
4 Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain,[a] saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.(A) 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,(B) 4 and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,(C) 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.(D) 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.”[b] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.(E) 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen, your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!(F) 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”(G) 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me.”(H) 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so![c] Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him.(I) 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,[d] east of Eden.
Beginnings of Civilization
17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch, and he built a city and named it Enoch after his son Enoch.(J) 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methushael, and Methushael the father of Lamech.(K) 19 Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.(L)
24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold,
truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”(M)
25 Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth,[e] for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, because Cain killed him.”(N) 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.(O)
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.