One Year Pray for America Bible - Flipbook - Page 17
7
gave birth to his brother and named
him Abel.
When they grew up, Abel became
a shepherd, while Cain cultivated
the ground. 3 When it was time for
the harvest, Cain presented some of
his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel
also brought a gift—the best portions
of the firstborn lambs from his flock.
The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,
5 but he did not accept Cain and his
gift. This made Cain very angry, and
he looked dejected.
6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord
asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do
what is right. But if you refuse to do
what is right, then watch out! Sin is
crouching at the door, eager to control
you. But you must subdue it and be its
master.”
8 One day Cain suggested to his
brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.”*
And while they were in the field, Cain
attacked his brother, Abel, and killed
him.
9 Afterward the Lord asked Cain,
“Where is your brother? Where is
Abel?”
“I d
on’t know,” Cain responded.
“Am I my brother’s guardian?”
10 But the Lord said, “What have
you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood
cries out to me from the ground! 11 Now
you are cursed and banished from the
ground, which has swallowed your
brother’s blood. 12 No longer will the
ground yield good crops for you, no
matter how hard you work! From now
on you will be a homeless wanderer
on the earth.”
13 Cain replied to the Lord, “My
punishment* is too great for me to
bear! 14 You have banished me from
the land and from your presence; you
have made me a homeless wanderer.
Anyone who finds me will kill me!”
15 The Lord replied, “No, for I will
give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the Lord put
a mark on Cain to warn anyone who
might try to kill him. 16 So Cain left the
Lord’s presence and settled in the
land of Nod,* east of Eden.
January 2
17 Cain
had sexual relations with
his wife, and she became pregnant
and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain
founded a city, which he named
Enoch, after his son. 18 Enoch had a
son named Irad. Irad became the father of* Mehujael. Mehujael became
the father of Methushael. Methushael
became the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech married two women. The
first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to
Jabal, who was the first of those who
raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His
brother’s name was Jubal, the first of
all who play the harp and flute. 22 La
mech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to
a son named Tubal-cain. He became
an expert in forging tools of bronze
and iron. Tu
bal-
cain had a sister
named Naamah. 23 One day Lamech
said to his wives,
24
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
listen to me, you wives of
Lamech.
I have killed a man who
attacked me,
a young man who wounded me.
If someone who kills Cain is
punished seven times,
then the one who kills me will
be punished seventy-seven
times!”
25 Adam had sexual relations with
his wife again, and she gave birth to
another son. She named him Seth,*
for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain
killed.” 26 When Seth grew up, he had
a son and named him Enosh. At that
time people first began to worship the
Lord by name.
3:8 Or Adam, and so throughout the chapter.
3:15 Or bruise; also in 3:15b. 3:16 Or And though
you will have desire for your husband, / he will rule
over you.
3:20 Eve sounds like a Hebrew term that
means “to give life.” 3:22 Or the man; Hebrew reads
ha-adam.
4:1a Or the man; also in 4:25. 4:1b Or
I have acquired. Cain sounds like a Hebrew term
that can mean “produce” or “acquire.” 4:8 As in
Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek and Syriac versions,
and Latin Vulgate; Masoretic Text lacks “Let’s go
out into the fields.”
4:13 Or My sin.
4:16 Nod
means “wandering.” 4:18 Or the ancestor of, and
so throughout the verse. 4:25 Seth probably means
“granted”; the name may also mean “appointed.”
