Genesis 4

¹ The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD."

² Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.

³ In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil,

⁴ while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

⁵ but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.

⁶ So the LORD said to Cain: "Why are you so resentful and crestfallen?

⁷ If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."

⁸ Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field." When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹ Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

¹⁰ The LORD then said: "What have you done! Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil!

¹¹ Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

¹² If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth."

¹³ Cain said to the LORD: "My punishment is too great to bear.

¹⁴ Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight."

¹⁵ Not so!" the LORD said to him. "If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold." So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.

¹⁶ Cain then left the LORD'S presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. Cain also became the founder of a city, which he named after his son Enoch.

¹⁸ To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael; Mehujael became the father of Methusael, and Methusael became the father of Lamech.

¹⁹ Lamech took two wives; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second Zillah.

²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who dwell in tents and keep cattle.

²¹ His brother's name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe.

²² Zillah, on her part, gave birth to Tubalcain, the ancestor of all who forge instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my utterance: I have killed a man for wounding me, a boy for bruising me.

²⁴ If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."

²⁵ Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. "God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel," she said, "because Cain slew him."

²⁶ To Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to invoke the LORD by name.