Genesis 4 – 5

The First Children: Cain and Abel

Genesis 4

¹ The man was intimate with Eve, his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten a man with the Lord.” ^{[1] 2} She also gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel.

Abel tended sheep, but Cain worked the ground. ³ As time passed, one day Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil. ⁴ Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his offering, ⁵ but he did not look favorably on Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his face showed it.

⁶ The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you have that angry look on your face? ^{[2] 7} If you do good, will you not be lifted up? If you do not do good, sin is crouching at the door. It has a strong desire for you, but you must rule over it.”

⁸ Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” ^[3] When they were in the field, Cain attacked Abel, his brother, and killed him.

⁹ The Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?”

He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the soil. ¹¹ Now you are cursed and sent away from the soil ^[4] which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the soil, it will no longer give its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear. ¹⁴ Look, today you have driven me away from the soil. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. And whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “No! ^[5] If anyone kills Cain, he will face sevenfold revenge.” And the Lord appointed a sign for ^[6] Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down.

The Descendants of Cain

¹⁶ Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, ^[7] east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain was intimate with his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and named the city after his son Enoch. ¹⁸ To Enoch, Irad was born. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

¹⁹ Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. ²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the predecessor ^[8] of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the predecessor of all who play the lyre and flute. ²² Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools and weapons from bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Na’amah.

The Family Line of Seth

²⁵ Adam was intimate with his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, ^[9] because she said, “God has set another child in place of Abel for me, since Cain killed him.” ²⁶ Later a son was born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. This is when people began to proclaim ^[10] the name of the Lord.

Genesis 5

¹ This is the account about the development of Adam’s family:

In the day that God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. ² He created them male and female and blessed them, and on the day they were created, he named them “mankind.” ^[11]

³ Adam lived 130 years, and he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his own image, and he named him Seth. ⁴ The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were 800 years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ⁵ All the days that Adam lived were 930 years. Then he died.

⁶ Seth lived 105 years, and he became the father of Enosh. ⁷ Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ⁸ All the days of Seth were 912 years. Then he died.

⁹ Enosh lived 90 years, and he became the father of Kenan. ¹⁰ Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ¹¹ All the days of Enosh were 905 years. Then he died.

¹² Kenan lived 70 years, and he became the father of Mahalalel. ¹³ Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ¹⁴ All the days of Kenan were 910 years. Then he died.

¹⁵ Mahalalel lived 65 years, and he became the father of Jared. ¹⁶ Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ¹⁷ All the days of Mahalalel were 895 years. Then he died.

¹⁸ Jared lived 162 years, and he became the father of Enoch. ¹⁹ Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ²⁰ All the days of Jared were 962 years. Then he died.

²¹ Enoch lived 65 years, and he became the father of Methuselah. ²² After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ²³ All the days of Enoch were 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked with God. Then, he was not there, for God took him.

²⁵ Methuselah lived 187 years, and he became the father of Lamech. ²⁶ After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ²⁷ All the days of Methuselah were 969 years. Then he died.

²⁸ Lamech lived 182 years and became the father of a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah ^[12] and said, “This one will bring us comfort during our work and the hard labor that we must perform with our hands because the Lord has cursed the soil.” ³⁰ Lamech lived 595 years after he became father of Noah, and he became the father of sons and daughters. ³¹ All the days of Lamech were 777 years. Then he died.

³² Noah was 500 years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ^[13]