Genesis 3:4-4:26

English Standard Version

^4 (A)But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,^[a] she took of its fruit ^(B)and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, ^(C)and he ate. ^7 (D)Then the eyes of both were opened, ^(E)and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

⁸ And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool^[b] of the day, and the man and his wife ^(F)hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”^{[c] 10} And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, ^(G)because I was naked, and I hid myself.” ¹¹ He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹² The man said, ^(H)“The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” ¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, ^(I)“The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

¹⁴ The Lord God said to the serpent,

¹⁶ To the woman he said,

¹⁷ And to Adam he said,

²⁰ The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.^{[f] 21} And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

²² Then the Lord God said, ^(U)“Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand ^(V)and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” ²³ therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden ^(W)to work the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the ^(X)cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

Cain and Abel

4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten^[g] a man with the help of the Lord.” ² And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. ³ In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of ^(Y)the fruit of the ground, ⁴ and Abel also brought of ^(Z)the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord ^(AA)had regard for Abel and his offering, ⁵ but ^(AB)for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. ⁶ The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? ^7 (AC)If you do well, will you not be accepted?^[h] And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. ^(AD)Its desire is contrary to^[i] you, but you must rule over it.”

⁸ Cain spoke to Abel his brother.^[j] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and ^(AE)killed him. ⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, ^(AF)“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 ^(AG)is crying to me from the ground. ¹¹ And now ^(AH)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 ^(AI)punishment is greater than I can bear.^{[k] 14} Behold, ^(AJ)you have driven me today away from the ground, and ^(AK)from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, ^(AL)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 ^(AM)sevenfold.” And the Lord ^(AN)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,^[l] 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:

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