Genesis 4
Open in the reader1And Ground had relations with his wife Life, and she conceived and gave birth to Acquired. “With the help of He-Who-Is I have brought forth a man,” she said.
2Later she gave birth to Acquired’s brother Breath. Now Breath was a keeper of sheep, while Acquired was a tiller of the soil.
3So in the course of time, Acquired brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to He-Who-Is,
4while Breath brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And He-Who-Is looked with favor on Breath and his offering,
5but He had no regard for Acquired and his offering. So Acquired became very angry, and his countenance fell.
6“Why are you angry,” said He-Who-Is to Acquired, “and why has your countenance fallen?
7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”
8Then Acquired said to his brother Breath , “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Acquired rose up against his brother Breath and killed him.
9And He-Who-Is said to Acquired, “Where is your brother Breath?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10“What have you done?” replied He-Who-Is . “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
11Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13But Acquired said to He-Who-Is, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
15“Not so!” replied He-Who-Is. “If anyone slays Acquired, then Acquired will be avenged sevenfold.” And He-Who-Is placed a mark on Acquired, so that no one who found him would kill him.
16So Acquired went out from the presence of He-Who-Is and settled in the land of Nod, east of Delight.
17And Acquired had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Dedicated. Then Acquired built a city and named it after his son Dedicated.
18Now to Dedicated was born Fugitive, and Fugitive was the father of Smitten-by-God, and Smitten-by-God was the father of Man-of-God, and Man-of-God was the father of Lamech.
19And Lamech married two women, one named Adornment and the other Shadow.
20Adornment gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and raise livestock.
21And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
22And Shadow gave birth to Tubal-the-Smith, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-the-Smith was Pleasant.
23Then Lamech said to his wives: “Adornment and Shadow, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.
24If Acquired is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
25And Ground again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son and named him Granted, saying, “God has granted me another seed in place of Breath, since Acquired killed him.”
26And to Granted also a son was born, and he called him Mortal. At that time men began to call upon the name of He-Who-Is.