(Hebrews 11:4)

¹ And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain.¹ “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.

1. Cain sounds like the Hebrew for acquired or brought forth.

² Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.

³ So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,

⁴ while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

⁵ but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

⁶ “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?

⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you,¹ but you must master it.”

1. Or it desires to control you

⁸ Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.”¹ And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

1. SP, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew Then Cain spoke to his brother Abel.

⁹ And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

¹¹ Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹² When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³ But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment¹ is greater than I can bear.

1. Or guilt or sin

¹⁴ Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵ “Not so!”¹ replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

1. LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; Hebrew “Very well!” or “Therefore:”

¹⁶ So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod,¹ east of Eden.

1. Nod means wandering.

The Descendants of Cain

¹⁷ And Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch.

¹⁸ Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech.

¹⁹ And Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah.

²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.

²¹ And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.

²² And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³ Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

²⁴ If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”¹

1. Hebrew; LXX can be translated as either seventy times seven or seventy-sevenfold; see also Matthew 18:22.

Seth and Enosh

²⁵ And Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,¹ saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

1. Seth probably means granted or appointed.

²⁶ And to Seth also a son was born, and he called him Enosh. At that time men began to call upon¹ the name of the LORD.

1. Or to proclaim; some translators to invoke or to call themselves by or to profane