Genesis 4

¹ The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. ‘I have acquired a man with the help of Yahweh[*a]’ she said.

² She gave birth to a second child, Abel, the brother of Cain. Now Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, 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 well. Yahweh looked with 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 well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?’

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

⁹ Yahweh asked Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I do not know’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s guardian?’

¹⁰ ‘What have you done?’ Yahweh asked. ‘Listen to the sound of your brother’s blood, crying out to me from the ground.

¹¹ Now be accursed and driven from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood at your hands.

¹² When you till the ground it shall no longer yield you any of its produce. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth.’

¹³ Then Cain said to Yahweh, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear.

¹⁴ See! Today you drive me from this ground. I must hide from you, and be a fugitive and a wanderer over the earth. Why, whoever comes across me will kill me!’

¹⁵ ‘Very well, then,’ Yahweh replied ‘if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for him.’ So Yahweh put a mark on Cain, to prevent whoever might come across him from striking him down.

¹⁶ Cain left the presence of Yahweh 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 builder of a town, and he gave the town the name of his son Enoch.

¹⁸ Enoch had a son, Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael; Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech.

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

²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal: he was the ancestor of the tent-dwellers and owners of livestock.

²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal: he was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and the flute.

²² As for Zillah, she gave birth to Tubal-cain: he was the ancestor of all metalworkers, in bronze or iron. Tubal-cain’s sister was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives: ‘Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, Lamech’s wives, listen to what I say: I killed a man for wounding me, a boy for striking me.

²⁴ Sevenfold vengeance is taken 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, ‘because God has granted[*b] me other offspring’ she said ‘in place of Abel, since Cain has killed him’.

²⁶ A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. This man was the first to invoke the name of Yahweh.[*c]