Genesis 4

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

“I do not know!” he answered. “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.

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

¹³But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment^a is greater 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.”

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

²¹And his brother’s name 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.

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.

²⁴If Cain is avenged sevenfold,

then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”^a

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.”

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.