Cain

1Adam and his wife Eve came together. She had a baby boy, and she named him Cain. She said, "I have gotten a man from the LORD."

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

NoteThe word LORD in big letters is God's special name. It was the name God's people used for him.

2Later she had his brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain worked the ground and grew food.

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

NoteA keeper of sheep is a shepherd. A shepherd leads sheep to grass and water and keeps them safe.

3After some time, Cain brought some of the food he grew. It was an offering, a gift given to the LORD.

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

NoteAn offering was a gift people brought to God. It was often food, or an animal from a flock.

4Abel also brought a gift. He brought the first animals born in his flock, and their fat parts. The LORD was pleased with Abel and with his gift.

And 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:

NoteThe first animals born were the ones people wanted most. The fat parts were the best parts to eat. Abel gave his best.

5But he was not pleased with Cain and with his gift. Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

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

Note"His countenance fell" means his face changed. He looked angry and sad, and he looked down.

6The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why has your face fallen?

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

7If you do what is good, will you not be accepted? If you do not do what is good, sin is waiting at your door. It wants you, but you must rule over it."

If 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.

NoteSin means doing what is wrong. Here sin is talked about like an animal. It crouches by the door, waiting to jump.

8Cain talked with his brother Abel. When they were out in the field, Cain turned on his brother Abel and killed him.

And 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.

9The LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain said, "I do not know. Am I the one who takes care of my brother?"

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

NoteA keeper is someone who looks after something. Cain is asking if looking after his brother is his job.

10The LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

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

NoteBlood cannot really cry out. This is a way of saying the killing could not be hidden. God knew.

11Now you are cursed and sent away from the ground. The ground opened its mouth. It took your brother's blood from your hand.

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

NoteTo be cursed means good things are taken away. Life will now be hard for Cain.

12When you work the ground, it will not give you good crops anymore. You will be a runaway and a wanderer on the earth."

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

NoteA wanderer is someone with no home. He keeps moving from place to place.

13Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.

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

14See, today you have driven me away from this land. I will be hidden from your face. I will be a runaway and a wanderer on the earth. Anyone who finds me will kill me."

Behold, 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.

Note"Hidden from your face" means far away from God. Cain will live where he cannot be near God.

15The LORD said to him, "So anyone who kills Cain will be paid back seven times." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain. The mark would stop anyone who found him from killing him.

And 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.

NoteSeven times means much more than the person did. It is a warning to leave Cain alone. The Bible never says what the mark looked like.

16Cain went away from where the LORD was. He lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

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

NoteNod is a name that sounds like the word for wandering. Eden was the garden where Adam and Eve first lived.

17Cain and his wife came together. She had a baby boy, and they named him Enoch. Cain built a city. He named the city Enoch, after his son.

And 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.

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

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

NoteThis is a family list. Each name is the son of the name before it. Lists like this show how many years went by.

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

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

NoteIn those days some men married more than one wife. The Bible tells us this happened; it does not say it was good.

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

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

Note"Father of" here means the first one to do something. People after him lived in tents and kept animals too.

21His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all who play the harp and the flute.

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

NoteThe King James Bible says "organ," but this is not a church organ. It was a simple pipe you blow into, like a flute.

22Zillah also had a son, Tubalcain. He taught everyone who made things out of brass and iron. Tubalcain's sister was named Naamah.

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

NoteTubalcain worked with metal. He heated it in fire and hammered it into tools. Brass here means bronze, a hard metal.

23Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, "Hear my voice. Wives of Lamech, listen to my words. I have killed a man for wounding me. I have killed a young man for hurting me.

And 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.

NoteLamech is singing a little song to his wives. He is bragging about hurting someone who hurt him.

24If Cain is paid back seven times, then Lamech will be paid back seventy-seven times."

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

NoteLamech is saying he will pay people back even harder than Cain. Seventy-seven times means much, much more.

4Abel trusted God. So he gave God a better gift than his brother Cain gave. God accepted his gift and said Abel was right and good. Abel died long ago, but his trust still speaks to us.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

NoteAbel and Cain were the first two brothers ever born. Each one brought God a gift. You can read about them in Genesis.

11Here is the message you heard from the very beginning. We should love one another.

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Note"From the beginning" means from the very first time they heard about Jesus.

12Do not be like Cain. He belonged to the evil one, and he killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because Cain did bad things, and his brother did right things.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

NoteCain lived long ago, near the start of the Bible. He got angry at his brother Abel and killed him. The story is in Genesis, chapter 4. "That wicked one" is another name for the devil.

13My brothers and sisters, do not be surprised if the world hates you.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14We know we have moved from death into life. We know it because we love each other. Whoever does not love is still in death.

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

NoteDeath and life here are word pictures. Being far from God is like being dead. Being close to God is life that never ends.

15Anyone who hates his brother is a killer. And you know that no killer has life that lasts forever in him.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

NoteA murderer is someone who kills another person on purpose. John says hating someone comes from that same angry place inside.

11How sad for them! They have gone the way Cain went. They rushed after money, the way Balaam did wrong. They died fighting against God, the way Korah did.

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

NoteCain was one of the first people. He was so jealous that he killed his own brother. Balaam was a man who spoke messages from God. He took money to help people who hated God's people. Korah told God's people to stop following Moses. The ground opened up and Korah was gone.