Genesis 4

Modern

Literal

Cain and Abel

¹And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.^a

“With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.

¹And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain and said, “I have acquired a man by YHWH.”

²Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel.

Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.

²And she continued to give birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a worker of the ground.

³So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,

³And it came to pass at the end of days that Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground an offering to YHWH.

⁴while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock.

And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

⁴And Abel, he also brought from the firstborn of his flock, even from their fat. And YHWH looked with favor unto Abel and unto his offering.

⁵but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

⁵And to Cain and to his offering He did not look with favor, and it burned to Cain exceedingly, and his face fell.

⁶“Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?

⁶And YHWH said to Cain, “Why has it burned to you, and why has your face fallen?

⁷If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you,^a but you must master it.”

⁷Is it not that if you do well, there is elevation? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, and you must rule over it.”

⁸Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.”^a And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

⁸And Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go into the field.” And it came to pass in their being in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

⁹And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

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

¹⁰“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

¹⁰And He said, “What have you done? The voice of the bloods of your brother is crying out to Me from the ground!

¹¹Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹¹And now, cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the bloods of your brother from your hand.

¹²When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹²When you work the ground, it shall not continue to give its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment^a is greater than I can bear.

¹³And Cain said to YHWH, “Greater is my punishment than I can bear!

¹⁴Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁴Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground, and from Your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. And it will come to pass that anyone finding me will kill me!”

¹⁵“Not so!”^a replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

¹⁵And YHWH said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain, sevenfold shall vengeance be taken on him.” And YHWH set on Cain a mark, lest anyone finding him should slay him.

¹⁶So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod,^a east of Eden.

¹⁶And Cain went out from before the face of YHWH and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

¹⁷And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.

¹⁷And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he began building a city, and he called the name of the city according to the name of his son, Enoch.

¹⁸Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech.

¹⁸And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methushael, and Methushael begat Lamech.

¹⁹And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.

¹⁹And Lamech took for himself two wives: The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah.

²⁰Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.

²⁰And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those dwelling in tents and having livestock.

²¹And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

²¹And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

²²And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²²And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³Then Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.

For I have slain a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.

²³And Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, give ear to my speech: For a man I have killed for my wound, and a young man for my bruise.

²⁴If Cain is avenged sevenfold,

then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”^a

²⁴If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy and sevenfold!”

Seth and Enosh

²⁵And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,^a saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

²⁵And Adam again knew his wife, and she gave birth to a son and called his name Seth, “For God has appointed for me another seed in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

²⁶And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh.

At that time men began to call upon^a the name of the LORD.

²⁶And to Seth, to him also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time they began to call on the name of YHWH.