- Adam[1] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[2] She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth[3] a man."
- Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.
- In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.
- And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
- but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
- Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
- If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it."
- Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field."[4] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
- Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"
- The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.
- Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
- When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."
- Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.
- Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
- But the LORD said to him, "Not so[5]; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
- So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod,[6] east of Eden.
- Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
- To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
- Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
- Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.
- His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes.
- Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of[7] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.
- Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me.
- If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."
- Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[8] saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him."
- Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on[9] the name of the LORD.
Cain and Abel
- Or 'The man'
- 'Cain' sounds like the Hebrew for 'brought forth' or 'acquired.'
- Or 'have acquired'
- Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have '“Let’s go out to the field.”'
- Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew 'Very well'
- 'Nod' means 'wandering' (see verses 12 and 14).
- Or 'who instructed all who work in'
- 'Seth' probably means 'granted.'
- Or 'to proclaim'