Cain and Abel

Chapter 4

 

The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man

with the help of the Lord." Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of

the soil.

In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part,

brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on

Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. So the Lord said to Cain: "Why

are you so resentful and crestfallen?  If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon

lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."

Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field." When they were in the field, Cain attacked his

brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I do not

know. Am I my brother's keeper?" The Lord then said: "What have you done! Listen: your brother's blood cries

out to me from the soil! Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your

brother's blood from your hand. If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a

restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the Lord: "My punishment is too great to bear. Since you have

now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth,

anyone may kill me at sight."  Not so!" the Lord said to him. "If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged

sevenfold." So the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight. 

Cain then left the Lord's presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.  Cain had relations with his wife,

and she conceived and bore Enoch. Cain also became the founder of a city, which he named after his son

Enoch.

 

The Line of Enoch

To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael; Mehujael became the father of Methusael,

and Methusael became the father of Lamech. Lamech took two wives; the name of the first was Adah, and the

name of the second Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who dwell in tents and keep cattle. His

brother's name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe. Zillah, on her part, gave

birth to Tubalcain, the ancestor of all who forge instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubalcain was

Naamah. Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my utterance:

I have killed a man for wounding me, a boy for bruising me. If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech

seventy-sevenfold." Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth.

"God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel," she said, "because Cain slew him." To Seth, in turn, a

son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to invoke the Lord by name.

 

The Fall / The Tower of Babel

 

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