Genesis 4
Cain and Abel
(Hebrews 11:4)
¹ And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.1 “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
² Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.
³ So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,
⁴ while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
⁵ but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
⁶ “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?
⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you,2 but you must master it.”
⁸ Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” 3 And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
⁹ And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
¹⁰ “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
¹¹ Now you are cursed and banished 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 its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
¹³ But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment 4 is greater than I can bear.
¹⁴ Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
¹⁵ “Not so!”5 replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.
¹⁶ So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod,6 east of Eden.
The Descendants of Cain
¹⁷ And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.
¹⁸ Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech.
¹⁹ And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.
²¹ And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
²² And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
²³ Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.
²⁴ If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”7
Seth and Enosh
²⁵ And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,8 saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
²⁶ And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to call upon 9 the name of the LORD.
4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for acquired or brought forth. ↩︎
4:7 Or it desires to control you ↩︎
4:8 SP, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew Then Cain spoke to his brother Abel. ↩︎
4:13 Or guilt or sin ↩︎
4:15 LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; Hebrew “Very well!” or “Therefore:” ↩︎
4:16 Nod means wandering. ↩︎
4:24 Hebrew; LXX can be translated as either seventy times seven or seventy-sevenfold; see also Matthew 18:22. ↩︎
4:25 Seth probably means granted or appointed. ↩︎
4:26 Or to proclaim; some translators to invoke or to call themselves by or to profane ↩︎