Cain and Abel

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten[a] a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of (A)the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of (B)the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord (C)had regard for Abel and his offering, but (D)for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? (E)If you do well, will you not be accepted?[b] And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. (F)Its desire is contrary to[c] you, but you must rule over it.”

Cain spoke to Abel his brother.[d] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and (G)killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, (H)“I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood (I)is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now (J)you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My (K)punishment is greater than I can bear.[e] 14 Behold, (L)you have driven me today away from the ground, and (M)from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, (N)and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him (O)sevenfold.” And the Lord (P)put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.

17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
    you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for striking me.
24 (Q)If Cain's revenge is sevenfold,
    then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”

25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed[g] for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To (R)Seth also a son was born, and he called his name (S)Enosh. At that time people began (T)to call upon the name of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for gotten
  2. Genesis 4:7 Hebrew will there not be a lifting up [of your face]?
  3. Genesis 4:7 Or is toward
  4. Genesis 4:8 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate add Let us go out to the field
  5. Genesis 4:13 Or My guilt is too great to bear
  6. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering
  7. Genesis 4:25 Seth sounds like the Hebrew for he appointed

And HaAdam knew Chavah (Eve) his isha; and she conceived, and bore Kayin (Cain), and said, Kaniti (I have acquired) ish with Hashem.

And again she bore his ach Hevel (Abel). And Hevel was a ro’eh tzon, but Kayin was an oved adamah (tiller of soil).

And in ketz yamim it came to pass, that Kayin brought of the p’ri haadamah a minchah unto Hashem.

And Hevel, he also brought of the bechorot of his tzon and of the chelev thereof. And Hashem regarded [with favor, respect] unto Hevel and to his minchah:

But unto Kayin and to his minchah He had not regard . And Kayin was very angry, and his countenance fell.

And Hashem said unto Kayin, Why art thou angry? And why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest right, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not right, chattat croucheth at the petach. And unto thee shall be its teshukah (desire), and thou must rule over it.

And Kayin talked with Hevel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the sadeh, that Kayin rose up against Hevel his brother, and killed him.

And Hashem said unto Kayin, Where is Hevel thy brother? And he said, I know not; am I shomer achi (my brother’s keeper)?

10 And He said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s dahm crieth unto Me from haadamah.

11 And now art thou arur (cursed) from haadamah, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s dahm from thy hand;

12 When thou tillest haadamah, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her ko’ach (strength); na (restless fugitive) vanad (and a wanderer, nomad) shalt thou be in ha’aretz.

13 And Kayin said unto Hashem, My avon (iniquity, punishment for guilt) is greater than I can bear.

14 See, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the adamah; and from Thy face shall I be hidden and I shall be a na (restless fugitive) vanad (and a wanderer, nomad) in ha’aretz; and it shall come to pass, that whoever findeth me shall kill me.

15 And Hashem said unto him, Therefore whoever killeth Kayin, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Hashem placed an ot (mark) upon Kayin, so that none finding him should kill him.

16 And Kayin went out from the presence of Hashem, and dwelt in Eretz Nod, east of Eden.

17 And Kayin knew his isha; and she conceived, and bore Chanokh (Enoch); and he built an ir (city), and called the shem of the ir, after the shem beno, Chanokh (Enoch).

18 And unto Chanokh (Enoch) was born Irad; and Irad fathered Mechuyael; and Mechuyael fathered Metushael; and Metushael fathered Lamech.

19 And Lamech took unto him two nashim; the shem of the one was Adah, and the shem of the second Tzilah.

20 And Adah bore Yaval; he was the av of such as dwell in ohel, and have mikneh.

21 And his brother’s shem was Yuval; he was the av of all such as play kinnor (harp) and ugav (flute).

22 And Tzilah, she also bore Tuval-Kayin, a forger of every cutting tool of nechoshet and barzel; and the achot of Tuval-Kayin was Naamah.

23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Tzilah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech; for I have slain an ish for my wounding, and a yeled for my chabburah (see Ga.6:17).

24 If Kayin (Cain) shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and seven times over.

25 And Adam knew his isha again; and she bore a ben, and called shmo Shet; for Elohim, said she, hath appointed me another zera in place of Hevel, whom Kayin killed.

26 And to Shet, to him also there was born a ben; and he called shmo Enosh; then began men to call upon the Shem of Hashem.