Genesis

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

1Adam and his wife Eve slept together as husband and wife. Eve had a baby boy, and she named him Cain. She said, "The LORD helped me bring a son into the world."

NoteThe old wording says Adam "knew" Eve. That was a polite way to say a husband and wife slept together.

2And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

2Later Eve had another son named Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain grew food in the ground.

3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

3After some time, Cain brought a gift to the LORD. It was some of the food he had grown.

4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

4Abel brought a gift too. He brought the first young animals from his flock, and the best parts of them. The LORD was pleased with Abel and with his gift.

Note"The fat thereof" means the best, richest parts of the animal. It was the part people thought of as the finest gift.

5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

5But the LORD was not pleased with Cain or with his gift. Cain became very angry. His face showed how upset he was.

6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

6The LORD asked Cain, "Why are you angry? Why does your face look like that?"

7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

7"If you do what is right, I will accept you. If you do wrong, sin is waiting at your door. It wants to have you. But you must be its master."

8And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

8Cain spoke to his brother Abel. The two of them went out into a field. There Cain turned on his brother and killed him.

9And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

9The LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain said, "I don't know. Am I the one who looks after him?"

10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

10The LORD said, "What have you done? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground."

11And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

11"Now you are under a curse. You must leave this ground. It opened up to take in your brother's blood, which you spilled."

12When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

12"When you plant crops, the ground will not grow food for you. You will move from place to place, with no home of your own."

13And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

13Cain said to the LORD, "This punishment is more than I can carry."

14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

14"Today you are sending me away from this land. I will be hidden from you. I will wander with no home. Anyone who finds me will kill me."

15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

15The LORD said, "No. If anyone kills Cain, that person will be punished seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain. The mark kept anyone who found him from killing him.

16And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

16So Cain went away from the LORD. He settled in a land called Nod, east of Eden.

17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

17Cain and his wife slept together, and she had a baby boy named Enoch. Cain built a city. He named the city Enoch, after his son.

18And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

18Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methusael. Methusael was the father of Lamech.

19And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

19Lamech married two women. One was named Adah. The other was named Zillah.

20And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

20Adah had a son named Jabal. He was the first of the people who live in tents and keep animals.

21And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

21Jabal's brother was named Jubal. He was the first of the people who play the harp and the flute.

NoteThe old word here is "organ," but it does not mean a church organ. It was a simple pipe you blow into, like a flute.

22And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

22Zillah had a son named Tubalcain. He made tools out of bronze and iron, and he taught others how. His sister was named Naamah.

NoteThe old word "brass" here means bronze, a metal made by mixing copper and tin.

23And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

23Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me. I killed a man because he wounded me. I killed a young man because he hurt me."

24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

24"Anyone who hurts Cain pays back seven times. Anyone who hurts me will pay back seventy-seven times."

25And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

25Adam and Eve slept together again, and she had a son. She named him Seth. She said, "God has given me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed."

26And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

26Seth had a son too. He named him Enos. At that time people began to call on the LORD by name.