Bible Gateway passage: Genesis 4 - English Standard Version (2024)

Cain and Abel

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

⁸Cain spoke to Abel his brother.^[d] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and ^(G)killed him. ⁹Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, ^(H)“I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” ¹⁰And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood ^(I)is crying to me from the ground. ¹¹And now ^(J)you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. ¹²When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” ¹³Cain said to the Lord, “My ^(K)punishment is greater than I can bear.^{[e] 14}Behold, ^(L)you have driven me today away from the ground, and ^(M)from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, ^(N)and whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him ^(O)sevenfold.” And the Lord ^(P)put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. ¹⁶Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,^[f] east of Eden.

¹⁷Cain 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. ¹⁸To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. ¹⁹And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. ²⁰Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. ²¹His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. ²²Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
^24(Q)If Cain's revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”

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