Genesis 4
1 Adam (had sex/slept) with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she named Cain, [which sounds like the word that means ‘produce’], because, she said, “By Yahweh’s help I have produced a son.” Some time later she gave birth to another son, and she named him Abel.
Adam slept with his wife Eve and she became pregnant. She gave birth to Cain, and said, “With the Lord's help I have made a man.”
2 [After those boys grew up], Abel (tended/took care of) sheep and goats, and Cain became a farmer.
Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd, while Cain was a crop farmer.
3 One day Cain harvested some of the crops he had grown and brought them to Yahweh as a gift for him,
Sometime later Cain brought some of the produce he'd grown as an offering to the Lord.
4 and Abel took from his flock some of the first lambs that had been born [and killed them] and, as a gift, gave to Yahweh the fatty parts, [which were the best parts]. Yahweh was pleased with Abel and his offering,
Abel also brought an offering: the firstborn lambs of his flock, selecting the very best parts to offer. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
5 but he was not pleased with Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his face looked dejected.
but he wasn't pleased with Cain and his offering, which made Cain very angry and he frowned in annoyance.
6 Yahweh said to Cain, “(You should not be angry!/Why are you angry?) [RHQ] (You should not scowl like that!/Why do you scowl like that?) [RHQ]
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? Why do you look so annoyed?
7 If you had done what was right (OR, if you do what is right) [RHQ], I would accept your offering. But if you do not do what is right, [your desire to] sin [is ready to attack you like a wild animal that] [PRS] crouches outside the doorway, [ready to spring on its victim] [MET]. [Your desire to] sin wants to control you, but you must (control/not obey) it.”
If you were doing what's right, then you'd be looking happy. But if you don't do what's right, then sin will be like animal crouching outside your home, ready to pounce on you. It wants to have you, but you must be the one in control.”
8 But one day, Cain said to his younger brother Abel, “Let’s go for a walk in the fields.” [So they went together]. And when they were in the countryside, suddenly Cain attacked Abel and killed him.
Later, when Cain was talking with his brother Abel they went out into the fields where Cain attacked his brother and killed him.
9 [Later, even though] Yahweh [knew what Cain had done], he said to Cain, “[Do you know] where Abel, your younger brother, is?” Cain replied, “No, I do not know. (My job is not to guard my younger brother!/Am I supposed to take care of my younger brother?)” [RHQ]
“Where is your brother Abel?” the Lord asked Cain. “How should I know?” he replied. “Am I supposed to be my brother's care-giver?”
10 Yahweh said, “You have done a terrible thing [RHQ]! So now [it is as though] your younger brother’s voice is crying to me from the ground, demanding that his death must be avenged.
“What have you done?” the Lord asked. “Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.
11 You have killed your younger brother, and the ground has soaked up his blood. So now I will expel you from this land and curse your efforts to produce crops.
Consequently you are more cursed than the ground because you soaked it with your brother's blood.
12 You will till the ground to plant crops, but the ground will produce very few [HYP] crops. And you will continually wander around the earth, and not have any place to live permanently.”
When you cultivate the ground, it won't produce crops for you. You'll be always on the run, wandering all over the earth.”
13 Cain replied, “You are punishing me more then I can endure.
“My punishment is more than I can take,” Cain replied.
14 You are about to expel me from the ground [that I have been cultivating], and I will no longer be able to come (into your presence/and talk with you). Furthermore, I will be continually wandering around the earth with no place to live permanently, and anyone who sees me will kill me.”
“Look! You're driving me away right now—cursing the ground and banishing me from your presence. I'm going to have to hide and always be on the run, left to wander all over the earth. Anyone who finds me is going to kill me!”
15 But Yahweh said to him, “No, that will not happen. I will put a mark on you to warn anyone who sees you that [I will punish him severely if] he kills you. I will punish that person seven times as severely as I am punishing you.” Then Yahweh put a mark on Cain’s forehead.
But the Lord replied, “No, Cain. Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times over.” The Lord placed a mark on Cain so that no one who came across him would kill him.
16 So Cain left Yahweh and went to live in the land called Nod, [which means ‘wandering’], which was east of Eden.
So Cain left the Lord's presence and went to live in a land called Nod, east of Eden.
17 Some time later, Cain (had sex/slept) with his wife, and she [became pregnant and] gave birth to a son, whom she named Enoch. Then Cain started to build a city, and he named the city ‘Enoch’, the same name that his son had.
Cain slept with his wife and she became pregnant. She had a son named Enoch. At that time Cain was building a town, so he named it after his son Enoch.
18 Enoch [grew up and married and] became the father of a son whom he named Irad. When Irad [grew up he] became the father of a son whom he named Mehujael. Mehujael [grew up and] became the father of a son whom he named Methuselah. Methuselah [grew up and] became the father of Lamech.
Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael, Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 When Lamech [grew up he] married two women. The name of one was Adah and the other was Zillah.
Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was named Zillah.
20 Adah gave birth to [a son she named] Jabal.
Adah had a son named Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock.
21 Later, Jabal was the first person who lived in tents because he traveled from place to place to take care of livestock. His younger brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person who made/played a (lyre/stringed instrument) and a flute.
He had a brother named Jubal; he was the father of all those who play stringed and wind instruments.
22 [Lamech’s other wife] Zillah gave birth to a son whom she named Tubal-Cain. Later Tubal-Cain became a (blacksmith/one who made tools from bronze and iron). Tubal-Cain had a younger sister whose name was Naamah.
Zillah also had a son. He was named Tubal-cain and he was a blacksmith, making different kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain's sister was named Naamah.
23 One day Lamech said to his two wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen carefully to what I am saying. A young man struck me and wounded me, so I killed him.
At one time Lamech told his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me. You wives of Lamech, pay attention to what I have to say. I killed a man because he wounded me; I killed a young man because he injured me.
24 Yahweh said long ago that he would avenge and punish anyone who killed Cain seven times as much as he punished Cain [for killing his younger brother]. So if anyone [tries to] kill me, I will punish him 77 times as much [as Yahweh punished Cain].”
If the sentence for killing Cain was to be punished seven times over, then if someone kills me, Lamech, the punishment should be seventy-seven times.”
25 Adam continued to (have sex/sleep) with [EUP] his wife, and she [became pregnant and] gave birth to another son, whom she named Seth, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘given’], because, she said, “God has given me another child to take the place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
Adam slept with his wife again, and she had a son and named him Seth, explaining that, “God has given me another child to replace Abel, the one Cain killed.”
26 When Seth grew up, he became the father of a son whom he named Enosh. About that time people began to worship Yahweh [again].
Later Seth had a son named Enosh, because at that time people began to worship the Lord by name.
