< Genesis 4 >

1 Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have obtained a man through God.”
Now, the man, having come to know Eve his wife, —she conceived and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a Man, even Yahweh!
2 And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.
And she went on to bear his brother, Abel, —and Abel became a feeder of sheep, whereas Cain, was a tiller of the round.
3 Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth.
So it came to pass, after certain days, that Cain brought in of the fruit of the ground, a present to Yahweh:
4 Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts.
Abel, also, even, he, brought in of the firstlings of his sheep, and of their fat, and Yahweh approved of Abel and of his present;
5 Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell.
but of Cain and his present, he approved not, —and it angered Cain greatly, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said to him: “Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen?
So then Yahweh said unto Cain, —Wherefore hath it angered thee, and wherefore hath thy countenance fallen?
7 If you behave well, will you not receive? But if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it.”
Shall it not, if thou do right, be lifted up? But if thou do not right, at the entrance a sin-bearer is lying, —Unto thee, moreover, shall be his longing, though, thou, rule over him.
8 And Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outside.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put him to death.
And Cain said unto Abel his brother Let us go into the field And it came to pass when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Then said Yahweh unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said I know not, the keeper of my brother, am, I?
10 And he said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the land.
And he said, What hast thou done? With a voice, the shed-blood of thy brother is crying out to me from the ground,
11 Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand.
Now therefore, accursed, art thou, —from the ground which hath opened her mouth, to receive the shed-blood of thy brother at thy hand.
12 When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.”
Though thou till the ground, it shall not go on to give its vigour to thee. A wanderer and a fugitive, shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said to the Lord: “My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness.
And Cain said unto Yahweh—Greater is my punishment than I can bear.
14 Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me.”
Lo! thou has driven me out, this day, from off the face of the ground And from thy face, shall I be hid, So shall I become a wanderer and a fugitive in the earth. And it shall come to pass, whosoever findeth me, will slay me.
15 And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death.
And Yahweh said to him—Not so, whosoever slayeth Cain seven—fold, shall it be avenged. So Yahweh set, for Cain, a sign, that none finding him should smite him.
16 And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden.
So Cain went forth from the presence of Yahweh, —and dwelt in the land of Nod, eastward of Eden.
17 Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.
And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and bare Enoch, —Now it happened that he was building a city, so he called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
18 Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech.
And there was born to Enoch Irad, and, Irad, begat Mehujael, —and Mehujael, begat Methusael, —and Methusael, begat Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.
And Lamech took to himself two wives, —the name of the one, was Adah, and, the name of the second Zillah.
20 And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds.
And Adah bare Jabal, —he, was father of such as dwell in tents, and have cattle;
21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ.
and, the name of his brother, was Jubal, —he, was father of everyone handling lyre and flute,
22 Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.
And, as for Zillah, she also, bare Tubal-Cain, a sharpener of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron, —and, the sister of Tubal-Cain, was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising.
Then said Lamech to his wives, Adah and Zillah! hear ye my voice, Ye wives of Lamech! give ear to my tale, For a man, have I slain in dealing my wounds, Yea, a youth, in smiting my blows:
24 Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times.”
If, sevenfold, be, the avenging of Cain, Then, of Lamech, seventy and seven.
25 Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, “God has given me another offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.”
And Adam again knew his wife, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth, —For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain slew him!
26 But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.
And to Seth—to him also, was born a son, and he called his name Enosh, —then, was a beginning made, to call on the name of Yahweh.

< Genesis 4 >