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Cain and Abel

¹ Now the man ^(F1)Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have obtained a man (baby boy, son) with the help of the LORD."² And later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now ^(C1)Abel ^(C2)kept the flocks of sheep and goats, but Cain cultivated the ground.³ And in the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground.⁴ But ^(C1)Abel brought an offering of the finest firstborn of his flock and the ^(F1)fat portions. And ^(C2)the LORD had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering; ^(VR1)5 but ^(C1)for Cain and his offering He had no respect. So ^(C2)Cain became extremely angry (indignant), and ^(F1)he looked annoyed and hostile.⁶ And the LORD said to Cain, "^(C1)Why are you so angry? And why do you look annoyed?⁷ "^(C1)If you do well believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me, will you not be accepted? ^(C2)And if you do not do well but ignore My instruction, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you to overpower you, ^(C3)but you must master it."⁸ Cain talked with Abel his brother about what God had said. And when they were alone, working in the field, Cain ^(F1)attacked Abel his brother and ^(C1)killed him. ^(VR1)

⁹ Then the LORD said to Cain, "^(C1)Where is Abel your brother?" And he lied and said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"¹⁰ The LORD said, "What have you done? ^(C1)The voice of your brother's innocent blood is crying out to Me from the ground for justice. ^(VR1)11 "And now ^(C1)you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's shed blood from your hand. ^(VR1)12 "^(C1)When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength it will resist producing good crops for you; ^(C2)you shall be a fugitive and a vagabond roaming aimlessly on the earth in perpetual exile without a home, a degraded outcast."¹³ Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.¹⁴ "Behold, You have ^(C1)driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and ^(C2)I will be a fugitive and an aimless vagabond on the earth, and ^(C3)whoever finds me will kill me."¹⁵ And the LORD said to him, "^(F1)Therefore, whoever kills Cain, a ^(C1)sevenfold vengeance that is, punishment seven times worse shall be taken on him by Me." And the LORD ^(C2)set a protective ^(F2)mark (sign) on Cain, so that no one who found (met) him would kill him. ^(VR1)

¹⁶ So Cain went away from the manifested presence ^(C1)of the LORD, and lived in the land of Nod wandering in exile, east of Eden.

¹⁷ Cain knew his ^(F1)wife one of Adam's descendants and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and Cain built a city and named it Enoch, after the name of his son.¹⁸ Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael became the father of Methushael, and Methushael became the father of Lamech.¹⁹ And Lamech took for himself ^(C1)two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah.²⁰ Adah gave birth to Jabal; he became the father of those nomadic herdsmen who live in tents and have cattle and raise livestock.²¹ His brother's name was Jubal; he became the father of all those musicians who play the lyre and flute.²² Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, the smith (craftsman) and teacher of every artisan in instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

²³ Lamech said to his wives,

"Adah and Zillah,
Hear my voice;
You wives of Lamech,
Listen to what I say;
^(C1)For I have killed a man merely for wounding me,
And a boy only for striking (bruising) me.

²⁴ "If Cain is avenged ^(C1)sevenfold as the LORD said he would be,
Then Lamech will be avenged ^(F1)seventy-sevenfold."

^25 (C1)Adam knew Eve as his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for she said, "God has granted another child for me in place of Abel, ^(C2)because Cain killed him."²⁶ To Seth, also, ^(C1)a son was born, whom he named Enosh (mortal man, mankind). At that same time men began ^(C2)to call on the name of the LORD in worship through prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. ^(VR1)