Genesis 4

¹ The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. 'I have acquireda man with the help of Yahweh,' she said.

² She gave birth to a second child, Abel, the brother of Cain. Now Abel became a shepherd and keptflocks, while Cain tilled the soil.

³ Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for Yahweh,

⁴ while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as wel . Yahweh lookedwith favour on Abel and his offering.

⁵ But he did not look with favour on Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and downcast.

⁶ Yahweh asked Cain, 'Why are you angry and downcast?

⁷ If you are doing right, surely you ought to hold your head high! But if you are not doing right, Sin iscrouching at the door hungry to get you. You can still master him.'

⁸ Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let us go out'; and while they were in the open country, Cain set on hisbrother Abel and killed him.

⁹ Yahweh asked Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' 'I do not know,' he replied. 'Am I my brother'sguardian?'

¹⁰ 'What have you done?' Yahweh asked. 'Listen! Your brother's blood is crying out to me from theground.

¹¹ Now be cursed and banned from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother's bloodat your hands.

¹² When you til the ground it wil no longer yield up its strength to you. A restless wanderer you wil beon earth.'

¹³ Cain then said to Yahweh, 'My punishment is greater than I can bear.

¹⁴ Look, today you drive me from the surface of the earth. I must hide from you, and be a restlesswanderer on earth. Why, whoever comes across me wil kill me!'

¹⁵ 'Very wel , then,' Yahweh replied, 'whoever kil s Cain wil suffer a sevenfold vengeance.' So Yahwehput a mark on Cain, so that no one coming across him would kil him.

¹⁶ Cain left Yahweh's presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain had intercourse with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. He became thefounder of a city and gave the city the name of his son Enoch.

¹⁸ Enoch fathered Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael; Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushaelfathered Lamech.

¹⁹ Lamech married two women: the name of the first was Adah and the name of the second was Zil ah.

²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal: he was the ancestor of tent-dwelling herdsmen.

²¹ His brother's name was Jubal: he was the ancestor of al who play the harp and the pipe.

²² As for Zil ah, she gave birth to Tubal-Cain: he was the ancestor of al who work copper and iron.Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives: Adah and Zil ah, hear my voice, wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: Ikil ed a man for wounding me, a boy for striking me.

²⁴ Sevenfold vengeance for Cain, but seventy-sevenfold for Lamech.

²⁵ Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she named Seth, 'becauseGod has granted me other offspring', she said, 'in place of Abel, since Cain has kil ed him.'

²⁶ A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. This man was the first to invoke the nameYahweh.