Genesis Chapter 4

Cain Murders Abel

            ¹ Adam had relations with Eve, and she had Cain. She said, “I’ve ‘produced’ a man with the LORD’s help.” ² She also had Abel. Abel herded sheep; Cain cultivated the ground. ³ In time, Cain brought some produce to offer to the LORD. ⁴ Abel brought some firstborn from the best in his flock. The LORD regarded Abel and his offering favorably, ⁵ but not Cain and his offering. It made Cain mad.                           

⁶ The LORD God asked him, “What are you mad about? Why are you sad? ⁷ Won’t you feel happy if you do well? If you don’t, sin’s making its den at your door. It wants you, but you have to overrule it.”

⁸ Cain told Abel about it. While they were in the field, Cain attacked him and killed him.             

Gen 4:1-8

⁹ The LORD God asked him, “Where’s your brother?”

            “I don’t know. I’m not his shepherd, am I?”

¹⁰ “What’ve you done? His blood is crying out to me from the ground. ¹¹ You’re cursed from the ground that soaked up his blood that you shed. ¹² When you cultivate it, it won’t produce like it did. You’ll roam around and be on the run in the world.”

            ¹³ Cain said,

“I can’t take such punishment! ¹⁴ You’ve driven me away from the ground, you’re withdrawing from me, and I’ll be roaming around and on the run in the world. Whoever finds me will kill me!”

¹⁵ The LORD told him, “Whoever kills you I’ll pay back seven times as much.” He put a mark on him so nobody would kill him. ¹⁶ He went away from the LORD and settled in Nod, east of Eden.                                                     

Gen 4:9-16

            ¹⁷ Cain had relations with his wife, and she had Enoch. Cain built a city and named it after his son. ¹⁸ Enoch was father of Irad, father of Mehujael, father of Methushael, father of Lamech.

            ¹⁹ Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. ²⁰ Adah had Jabal, the forerunner of nomads and herdsmen. ²¹ His half-brother Jubal was the forerunner of musicians that play lyres and flutes. ²² Zillah had Tubalcain, the forerunner of artisans in bronze and iron. His sister was Naamah.

            ²³ Lamech told his wives,

                                    “Adah and Zillah, listen;

                                          wives of Lamech, listen to what I’m saying.

                                    I killed a man for wounding me,

                                          a young man for striking me.

                                    ²⁴ If Cain was avenged 7 times over,

      Lamech will be avenged 77 times.”

²⁵ Adam had relations with his wife again, and she had a son she named Seth, because “God gave me an ‘offspring’ to replace Abel that Cain killed.” ²⁶ Seth had a son he named Enosh.

People began to call on the LORD.

Gen 4:17-26