4
About Cain and Abel
1 Adam and his wife Eve lived together. They slept together and after a while Eve knew that she was pregnant. Later she gave birth to a son and said, “Yahweh has helped me, and so now I have given birth to a son.” And she named him Cain, because Cain means “I have got.”
2 Later she gave birth to another son and named him Abel. So now there were two boys. When Abel grew up he looked after sheep, but Cain grew trees and plants for food. 3 Cain gave some of the food that he had grown as an offering to Yahweh.
4 His younger brother Abel killed the first lamb of one of his sheep, and he gave the best fat as an offering to Yahweh. Yahweh was pleased with Abel and the fat. 5 But he rejected Cain and his offering of food.
Cain became very angry and his face changed. 6 Yahweh said to him, “Why are you angry? And why has your face changed? 7 If you do the right thing, then you will be smiling. But if you don't do the right thing, it is as though an evil spirit is waiting for you and it is ready to tie you up. It wants to rule over you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out into the bush.” And they went into the bush together, and Cain killed his brother there. He hit him and he died.
9 Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is your brother?”
He answered, “Don't ask me, I don't know. Why should I look after my brother?”
10 Then Yahweh said to him, “Why did you kill him? That was terrible. I know that you killed him because I can see his blood on the ground. Because you have killed him, it is as though he is calling out to me so that I can pay back and kill you in your turn. 11 So now I am cursing you. You can no longer grow food, because the earth has drunk that blood. 12 If you try to grow plants, they won't provide food, because the earth is spoilt. You will have to wander around without a homeland.”
13-14 Then Cain said, “That is terrible, driving me away from this place and from yourself. Because of your words I will have to suffer greatly. After today I will be wandering around homeless, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 But Yahweh said, “No. If anyone kills you I will make sure that people pay back and kill seven others.” And Yahweh put a mark on Cain so that people wouldn't kill him. Then he warned the people about Cain.
16 And Cain left Yahweh and went away. He lived in another country called “Wandering,” which is east of Eden.
About Cain's descendants
17 Cain and his wife had a little boy called Enoch. Then Cain built many houses to make a city and he called it after his son.
18 Later Cain's son Enoch had a son and he called him Irad. And Irad's son was called Mehujael. Then Mehujael had a son and he was called Methushael. Then Methushael had a son and he was called Lamech.
19 Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to a baby boy and she called him Jabal because Jabal means “to lead.” Then when Jabal grew up he was the ancestor of people who look after sheep and cattle. And he and his family were the first to live in tents. 21 His younger brother was called Jubal because Jubal means “musical instrument.” He was the ancestor of people who play musical instruments.
22 Then Lamech's second wife, Zillah, gave birth to a baby boy called Tubal Cain. When he grew up Tubal Cain made many tools like tomahawks and other things for cutting, digging and hammering. He made them all from iron. His younger sister was called Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his two wives,
“Listen now, Adah and Zillah.
I have killed a man because he hit me first.
24 If anyone had killed Cain, seven people would have died.
But if anyone kills me, then seventy-seven people will die.”
About Seth and Enosh
25 Adam and his wife Eve had another son. After he was born, Eve said, “God has given me another baby boy. My first son died, because Cain killed him. But this one will take his place.” So she named him Seth because Seth means “he has given.”
26 When Seth grew up he had a son and he called him Enosh. At that time people began worshipping Yahweh.