NIV
Genesis 4
- 1<pb/>Adam<f>[15]</f> made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.<f>[16]</f> She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth<f>[17]</f> a man.”
- 2Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. <pb/>Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.
- 3In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.
- 4And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
- 5but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
- 6<pb/>Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
- 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
- 8<pb/>Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”<f>[18]</f> While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
- 9<pb/>Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” <pb/>“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
- 10<pb/>The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
- 11Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
- 12When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
- 13<pb/>Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear.
- 14Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
- 15<pb/>But the LORD said to him, “Not so<f>[19]</f>; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
- 16So Cain went out from the LORD’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,<f>[20]</f> east of Eden.
- 17<pb/>Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
- 18To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
- 19<pb/>Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.
- 20Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.
- 21His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes.
- 22Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of<f>[21]</f> bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.
- 23<pb/>Lamech said to his wives, <pb/><t>“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;</t> <t>wives of Lamech, hear my words.</t> <t>I have killed a man for wounding me,</t> <t>a young man for injuring me.</t>
- 24<t>If Cain is avenged seven times,</t> <t>then Lamech seventy-seven times.”</t>
- 25<pb/>Adam made love to his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,<f>[22]</f> saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
- 26Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. <pb/>At that time people began to call on<f>[23]</f> the name of the LORD.