4:1 AND ADAM knew Eve as his wife, and she became pregnant and bore Cain; and she said, I have gotten {and} gained a man with the help of the Lord. |
4:2 And [next] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. |
4:3 And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. |
4:4 And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect {and} regard for Abel and for his offering, |
4:5 But for Cain and his offering He had no respect {or} regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry {and} indignant, and he looked sad {and} depressed. |
4:6 And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad {and} depressed {and} dejected? |
4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. |
4:8 And Cain said to his brother, Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. |
4:9 And the Lord said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper? |
4:10 And [the Lord] said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. |
4:11 And now you are cursed by reason of the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's [shed] blood from your hand. |
4:12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth [in perpetual exile, a degraded outcast]. |
4:13 Then Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. |
4:14 Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land, and from Your face I will be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a vagabond {and} a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me. |
4:15 And the Lord said to him, Therefore, if anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark {or} sign upon Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. |
4:16 So Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod [wandering], east of Eden. |
4:17 And Cain's wife [one of Adam's offspring] became pregnant and bore Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch. |
4:18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methusael, and Methusael the father of Lamech. |
4:19 And Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah and of the other was Zillah. |
4:20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle {and} purchase possessions. |
4:21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. |
4:22 Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all [cutting] instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. |
4:23 Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say; for I have slain a man [merely] for wounding me, and a young man [only] for striking {and} bruising me. |
4:24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech [will be avenged] seventy-sevenfold. |
4:25 And Adam's wife again became pregnant, and she bore a son and called his name Seth. For God, she said, has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him. |
4:26 And to Seth also a son was born, whom he named Enosh. At that time men began to call [upon God] by the name of the Lord. |