Genesis 4:1-16
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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 4:1 Lit knew his
- Genesis 4:3 Lit at the end of days
- Genesis 4:5 Lit fell
- Genesis 4:6 Lit fallen
- Genesis 4:7 Or you will certainly be accepted
- Genesis 4:7 Lit lifted up
- Genesis 4:8 Lit said to
- Genesis 4:15 Or set a sign for
- Genesis 4:16 Lit dwelt
- Genesis 4:16 I.e., wandering
Genesis 4:1-16
New King James Version
Cain Murders Abel(A)
4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore [a]Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother [b]Abel. Now (B)Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And [c]in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit (C)of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of (D)the firstborn of his flock and of (E)their fat. And the Lord (F)respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So 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 lies at the door. And its desire is [d]for you, but you should rule over it.”
8 Now Cain [e]talked with Abel his [f]brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and (G)killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, (H)“I do not know. Am I (I)my brother’s keeper?”
10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood (J)cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now (K)you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My [g]punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; (L)I shall be (M)hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that (N)anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 And the Lord said to him, [h]“Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him (O)sevenfold.” And the Lord set a (P)mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
The Family of Cain
16 Then Cain (Q)went out from the (R)presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of [i]Nod on the east of Eden.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 4:1 Lit. Acquire
- Genesis 4:2 Lit. Breath or Nothing
- Genesis 4:3 Lit. at the end of days
- Genesis 4:7 Lit. toward
- Genesis 4:8 Lit. said to
- Genesis 4:8 Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg. add “Let us go out to the field.”
- Genesis 4:13 iniquity
- Genesis 4:15 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. Not so;
- Genesis 4:16 Lit. Wandering
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
