Genesis 4:1-6:8

New International Version

Cain and Abel

4 Adam^[a] made love to his wife^(A) Eve,^(B) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.^[b](C) She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth^[c] a man.” ² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.^(D)

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.^{(E) 3} In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering^(F) to the Lord.^{(G) 4} And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions^(H) from some of the firstborn of his flock.^(I) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,^{(J) 5} but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?^(K) Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If 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;^(L) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.^(M)”

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^(N)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”^(O)

“I don’t know,^(P)” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.^{(Q) 11} Now you are under a curse^(R) and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.^(S) You will be a restless wanderer^(T) on the earth.^(U)”

¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence;^(V) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,^(W) and whoever finds me will kill me.”^(X)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Not so^[e]; anyone who kills Cain^(Y) will suffer vengeance^(Z) seven times over.^(AA)” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. ¹⁶ So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence^(AB) and lived in the land of Nod,^[f] east of Eden.^(AC)

¹⁷ Cain made love to his wife,^(AD) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city,^(AE) and he named it after his son^(AF) Enoch. ¹⁸ To 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 Lamech married^(AG) two women,^(AH) one named Adah and the other Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments^(AI) and pipes.^{(AJ) 22} Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged^(AK) all kinds of tools out of^[g] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives,

²⁵ Adam made love to his wife^(AP) again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,^[h](AQ) saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”^{(AR) 26} Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.^(AS)

At that time people began to call on^[i] the name of the Lord.^(AT)

From Adam to Noah

5 This is the written account^(AU) of Adam’s family line.^(AV)

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.^{(AW) 2} He created them^(AX) male and female^(AY) and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”^[j] when they were created.

³ When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;^(AZ) and he named him Seth.^{(BA) 4} After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.^(BB)

⁶ When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father^[k] of Enosh.^{(BC) 7} After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁸ Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

⁹ When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.^{(BD) 10} After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

¹² When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.^{(BE) 13} After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.^{(BF) 16} After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

¹⁸ When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.^{(BG) 19} After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.^{(BH) 22} After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God^(BI) 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God;^(BJ) then he was no more, because God took him away.^(BK)

²⁵ When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.^{(BL) 26} After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷ Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

²⁸ When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah^[l](BM) and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.^(BN)” ³⁰ After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. ³¹ Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

³² After Noah was 500 years old,^(BO) he became the father of Shem,^(BP) Ham and Japheth.^(BQ)

Wickedness in the World

6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth^(BR) and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God^(BS) saw that the daughters^(BT) of humans were beautiful,^(BU) and they married^(BV) any of them they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit^(BW) will not contend with^[m] humans forever,^(BX) for they are mortal^[n];^(BY) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

⁴ The Nephilim^(BZ) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans^(CA) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.^(CB)

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(CC) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^{(CD) 6} The Lord regretted^(CE) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth^(CF) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.^(CG)” ⁸ But Noah^(CH) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.^(CI)