1: Now
Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have
gotten 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 tiller of the ground.
3: In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the
fruit of the ground,
4: and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat
portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,
5: but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very
angry, and his countenance fell.
6: The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your
countenance fallen?
7: If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well,
sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master
it."
8: Cain said to Abel his brother, "Let us go out to the field."
And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and
killed him.
9: Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He
said, "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 is crying to me from the ground.
11: And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to
receive your brother's blood from your hand.
12: When you till 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 punishment is greater than I can
bear.
14: Behold, thou hast driven me this day away from the ground; and from
thy face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the
earth, and whoever finds me will slay me."
15: Then the LORD said to him, "Not so! If any one slays Cain,
vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on
Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him.
16: Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the
land of Nod, east of Eden.
17: Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a
city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
18: To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad was the father of Me-hu'ja-el, and
Me-hu'ja-el the father of Me-thu'sha-el, and Me-thu'sha-el the father of 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 cattle.
21: His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play
the lyre and pipe.
22: Zillah bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of
bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Na'amah.
23: Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you
wives of Lamech, hearken to what I say: I have slain a man for wounding me, a
young man for striking me.
24: If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech 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 for me another child instead of
Abel, for Cain slew him."
26: To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that
time men began to call upon the name of the LORD.