Old/New Testament
Cain Kills Abel
4 The man lay with his wife Eve and she was going to have a child and she gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have given birth to a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 Next she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was one who worked the ground.
3 The day came when Cain brought a gift of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 But Abel brought a gift of the first-born of his flocks and of the fat parts. The Lord showed favor to Abel and his gift. 5 But He had no respect for Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and his face became sad. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why are you looking down? 7 Will not your face be happy if you do well? If you do not do well, sin is waiting to destroy you. Its desire is to rule over you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Cain told this to his brother Abel. And when they were in the field, Cain stood up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not 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 ground. 11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer give its strength to you. You will always travel from place to place on the earth.”
13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “I am being punished more than I can take! 14 See, this day You have made me go away from the land. And I will be hidden from Your face. I will run away and move from place to place. And whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 So the Lord said to him, “Whoever kills Cain will be punished by Me seven times worse.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain so that any one who found him would not kill him.
16 Then Cain went away from the face of the Lord, and stayed in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain lay with his wife and she was going to have a child and she gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and gave it the name of Enoch, the name of his son. 18 Now Irad was born to Enoch. And Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. And Methushael became the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech took two wives for himself. The name of one was Adah. And the name of the other was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and have cattle. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and the horn. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain who made things from brass and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice. Hear what I say, you wives of Lamech. For I have killed a man for hurting me, and a boy for hitting me. 24 If those who hurt Cain are punished seven times worse, then those who hurt Lamech will be punished seventy-seven times worse.”
25 And Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and gave him the name Seth. For she said, “God has let me have another son in the place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 A son was born to Seth also, and he gave him the name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.
The Families from Adam to Noah
5 This is the book of the children of Adam and of their children’s children. When God made man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He made them male and female, and brought good to them. And He gave them the name Man when they were made. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he gave birth to a son in his own likeness. And he gave him the name Seth. 4 Adam lived 800 years after he became the father of Seth. He had other sons and daughters. 5 So Adam lived 930 years, and he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7 Seth lived 807 years after the birth of Enosh. He had other sons and daughters. 8 So Seth lived 912 years, and he died.
9 When Enosh had lived ninety years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 Enosh lived 815 years after the birth of Kenan. He had other sons and daughters. 11 So Enosh lived 905 years, and he died.
12 When Kenan had lived seventy years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived 840 years after the birth of Mahalalel. He had other sons and daughters. 14 So Kenan lived 910 years, and he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after the birth of Jared. He had other sons and daughters. 17 So Mahalalel lived 895 years, and he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 Jared lived 800 years after the birth of Enoch. He had other sons and daughters. 20 So Jared lived 962 years, and he died.
21 When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God 300 years after the birth of Methuselah. He had other sons and daughters. 23 So Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was seen no more, for God took him.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived 782 years after the birth of Lamech. He had other sons and daughters. 27 So Methuselah lived 969 years, and he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he became the father of a son. 29 He gave him the name Noah. He said, “This one will give us rest from our work, from the hard work of our hands because the ground was cursed by the Lord.” 30 Lamech lived 595 years after the birth of Noah. He had other sons and daughters. 31 So Lamech lived 777 years, and he died.
32 When Noah had lived 500 years, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Sinful Man
6 When men became many in number on the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. And they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not stay in man forever, for he is flesh. But yet he will live for 120 years.” 4 Very large men were on the earth in those days, and later also, when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, who gave birth to their children. These were the powerful men of long ago, men of much strength.
5 Then the Lord saw that man was very sinful on the earth. Every plan and thought of the heart of man was sinful always. 6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth. He had sorrow in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have made from the land, man and animals, things that move upon the earth and birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
9 This is the story of Noah and his family. Noah was right with God. He was without blame in his time. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was sinful in the eyes of God. The earth was filled with people hurting each other. 12 God looked at the earth and saw how sinful it was. For all who lived on the earth had become sinful in their ways.
13 Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to make an end to all the people on the earth. They are the cause of very much trouble. See, I will destroy them as I destroy the earth. 14 Make a large boat of gopher wood for yourself. Build rooms in the boat. And cover it inside and out with tar. 15 This is how you are to make it: The boat is to be as long as 150 long steps, as wide as twenty-five long steps, and eight times taller than a man. 16 Make a window for the boat, that goes down a cubit from the roof. Put a door in the side of the boat. And make it with first, second, and third floors. 17 See, I will bring a flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh under heaven that has the breath of life. Everything on earth will be destroyed. 18 But I will make My agreement with you. You will go into the large boat, you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the large boat two of every kind of living thing of all flesh, to keep them alive with you. They will be male and female. 20 Two of all the kinds of birds, and animals, and every thing that moves on the ground are to be with you to keep them alive. 21 And take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it. It will be food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did just what God told him to do.
Wise Men Visit the Young Child Jesus
2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in the country of Judea. It was the time when Herod was king of that part of the country. Soon after Jesus was born, some wise men who learned things from stars came to Jerusalem from the East. 2 They asked, “Where is the King of the Jews Who has been born? We have seen His star in the East. We have come to worship Him.”
3 King Herod heard this. He and all the people of Jerusalem were worried. 4 He called together all the religious leaders of the Jews and the teachers of the Law. Herod asked them where Christ was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea. The early preacher wrote, 6 ‘You, Bethlehem of Judah, are not the least of the leaders of Judah. Out of you will come a King Who will lead My people the Jews.’” (A)
7 Then Herod had a secret meeting with the men who learned things from stars. He asked them about what time the star had been seen. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and find the young Child. When you find Him, let me know. Then I can go and worship Him also.”
9 After the king had spoken, they went on their way. The star they had seen in the East went before them. It came and stopped over the place where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with much joy.
11 They went into the house and found the young Child with Mary, His mother. Then they got down before Him and worshiped Him. They opened their bags of riches and gave Him gifts of gold and perfume and spices. 12 Then God spoke to them in a dream. He told them not to go back to Herod. So they went to their own country by another road.
Joseph Goes to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. He said, “Get up. Take the young Child and His mother to the country of Egypt. Go as fast as you can! Stay there until you hear from Me. Herod is going to look for the young Child to kill Him.” 14 During the night he got up and left with the young Child and His mother for Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod died. This happened as the Lord had said through an early preacher, “I called My Son out of Egypt.” (B)
Herod Had All the Young Boys Killed
16 Herod learned that the wise men had fooled him. He was very angry. He sent men to kill all the young boys two years old and under in Bethlehem and in all the country near by. He decided to do this from what he had heard from the wise men as to the time when the star was seen. 17 Then it happened as the early preacher Jeremiah said it would happen. 18 He said, “The sound of crying and much sorrow was heard in Ramah. Rachel was crying for her children. She would not be comforted because they were dead.” (C)
Joseph Goes from Egypt to Nazareth (D)
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt. 20 He said, “Get up. Take the young Child and His mother and go into the land of the Jews. Those who tried to kill the young Child are dead.” 21 Joseph got up. He took the young Child and His mother and came into the land of the Jews. 22 Joseph heard that Archelaus was the king of the country of Judea. Herod, the father of Archelaus, had died. Joseph was afraid to go there. God told him in a dream to go to the country of Galilee and he went. 23 Joseph stayed in a town called Nazareth. It happened as the early preachers said it would happen. They said, “Jesus will be called a Nazarene.”
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.