Open English Translation GEN Chapter 4

4 Then Adam slept with his wife Havvah (Eve), and she conceived and in due course gave birth to Kayin (Cain). “Yahweh has enabled me to produce a man,” she said. 2 Eventually she also gave birth to Kayin’s brother, Hevel (Abel). Hevel became a shepherd, while Kayin became a crop farmer. 3 Some months later, Kayin brought some of what he’d grown in the ground as an offering to Yahweh, 4 and also Hevel brought the best portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. Now Yahweh was pleased with Hevel and his offering,[ref] 5 but he didn’t even look towards Kayin and his offering. Kayin got very angry and his face showed his displeasure. 6 Then Yahweh said to Kayin, “Why are you so angry? And why are you frowning like that? 7 If you do what’s right, won’t you be honoured? But if you don’t do what’s right, sin is crouching in the doorway wanting to have you, but you have the control over it.”

8 One day, Kayin spoke to his brother Hevel when they were out in the countryside, and then Kayin attacked him and killed him.[ref]

9 Later Yahweh asked Kayin, “Where’s your brother Hevel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied, “It’s not my job to look after my brother.”

10 “What have you done?” Yahweh asked. “Your brother’s blood is calling out to me from the ground.[ref] 11 So now you’re cursed and banished from the soil that your brother’s blood soaked into as a result of your actions. 12 Whenever you till and plant the ground, it will no longer produce good yields for you. You’ll be a fugitive and wandering refugee on the earth.”

13 “My punishment is more than I can bear,” Kayin complained to Yahweh. 14 “Look, you’re now driving me away from the ground I’ve been cultivating to somewhere where you won’t be able to see me. I’ll be a wandering refugee on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”

15 “Very well,”, replied Yahweh and declared, “If anyone kills Kayin, then that person will receive a seven times greater sentence.” Then Yahweh marked Kayin so that no one who found him would kill him, 16 and Kayin left Yahweh’s presence and settled in the land of Nod to the east of Eden.

17 Then Kayin slept with his wife and she conceived and gave birth to Hanoch (Enoch). Then Kayin founded a town and named it Hanoch after his son. 18 Eventually Hanoch fathered Irad, and Irad fathered Mehuyael, and Mehuyael father Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lemech (Lamech). 19 Lemech had two wives: the first was named Adah and the second was Tsillah (Zillah). 20 Adah gave birth to Yaval (Jabal) who became the ancestor of people who live in tents and rear cattle. 21 His brother’s name was Yuval (Jubal) and he became the ancestor of people who play stringed and wind instruments. 22 Tsillah gave birth to Tuval-Kayin (Tubal-Cain) who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. His sister was named Naamah. 23 Then Lemech said to his wives:

“Adah and Tsillah, listen to me.

My wives, take notice of my words;

I killed a man who had wounded me;

I killed a young man who hurt me.

24 If killers of Kayin would be sentenced seven times as much,

then anyone who kills me should be sentenced seventy-seven times as much.”

25 Then Adam slept with his wife again and she bore a son and named him Shet (Seth) (which means ‘given’) because she had said, “God has given me another son in place of Hevel who was killed by Kayin.” 26 Eventually Shet also had a son and named him Enosh. That was when people began using Yahweh’s name when they prayed for help.