Genesis 4

¹The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Cain and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”

²She then gave birth to his brother, Abel. Abel was a shepherd of flocks, but Cain was a worker of the ground.

³And at the end of the appointed days, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.

⁴Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock, even of their fat portions. Yahweh had regard for Abel and his offering,

⁵but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

⁶Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

⁷If you do what is good, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is good, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

⁸Nevertheless, Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go out into the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

⁹Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.

¹¹Now you are cursed from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹²From now on, when you work the ground it will no longer continue to give its strength to you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

¹³Cain said to Yahweh, “My sin is too great to be forgiven.

¹⁴Behold, today you have driven me away from the face of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵Yahweh said to him, “Not so. If anyone kills Cain, he will be avenged seven times.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone who finds him would not strike him down.

¹⁶Then Cain went out from Yahweh’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

¹⁷Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

¹⁸To Enoch was born Irad. Irad fathered Mehujael. Mehujael fathered Methushael. Methushael fathered Lamech.

¹⁹Lamech took two wives; the name of one was Adah and the name of the other was Zillah.

²⁰Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

²¹His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.

²²Also, Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all kinds of implements of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah.

²³Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice. You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech: for I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me.

²⁴If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech 77 times.”

²⁵Adam knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “For God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain killed him.”

²⁶And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of Yahweh.