Genesis 4

Cain Murders Abel

⁴Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain,^o saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” ²Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.^{* 3}In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,^{* 4}and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,^{* 5}but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.^{* 6}The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? ⁷If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

⁸Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.”^p And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.^{* 9}Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰And the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen, your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!^{* 11}And now you are cursed 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 to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”^{* 13}Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! ¹⁴Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me.”^{* 15}Then the Lord said to him, “Not so!^q Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him.^{* 16}Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,^r east of Eden.

Beginnings of Civilization

¹⁷Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch, and he built a city and named it Enoch after his son Enoch.^{* 18}To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methushael, and Methushael the father of Lamech.^{* 19}Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. ²⁰Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and have livestock. ²¹His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and pipe. ²²Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;

you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:

I have killed a man for wounding me,

a young man for striking me.^*

²⁴If Cain is avenged sevenfold,

truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”^*

²⁵Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth,^s for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, because Cain killed him.”^{* 26}To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.^*