The Bible

Genesis Chapter 4

¹Adam knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, "I have obtained a man with Yahweh's help." ²Again she gave birth, to Cain's brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a worker of the ground. ³As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. ⁴Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, ⁵but he didn't respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell. ⁶Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen? ⁷If you do well, won't it be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." ⁸Cain said to Abel, his brother, "Let's go into the field." While 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 don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

¹⁰Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. ¹¹Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. ¹²From now on, when you work the ground, it won't yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth."

¹³Cain said to Yahweh, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴Behold, you have driven me out this day from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. Whoever finds me will kill me."

¹⁵Yahweh said to him, "Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, in case any finding him would strike him.

¹⁶Cain left Yahweh's presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. ¹⁷Cain knew his wife. 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. ¹⁸Irad was born to Enoch. Irad fathered Mehujael. Mehujael fathered Methushael. Methushael fathered Lamech. ¹⁹Lamech took two wives; the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah. ²⁰Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock. ²¹His brother's name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe. ²²Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument 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 slaughtered a man for wounding me, a young man for bruising me. ²⁴If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times."

²⁵Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, "for God has granted me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him." ²⁶A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of Yahweh.