Cain and Abel
1 Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, “By the Lord's help I have gotten a son.” So she named him Cain. 2 Later she gave birth to another son, Abel. Abel became a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer. 3 After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord. 4 Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, 5 but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain became furious, and he scowled in anger. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why that scowl on your face? 7 If you had done the right thing, you would be smiling; but because you have done evil, sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.”
8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out in the fields.” When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.
9 The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
He answered, “I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”
10 Then the Lord said, “Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. 11 You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. 12 If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”
13 And Cain said to the Lord, “This punishment is too hard for me to bear. 14 You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 But the Lord answered, “No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge.” So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. 16 And Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in a land called “Wandering,” which is east of Eden.
The Descendants of Cain
17 Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. 18 Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech had two wives, Adah and Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the ancestor of those who raise livestock and live in tents. 21 His brother was Jubal, the ancestor of all musicians who play the harp and the flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal Cain was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me:
I have killed a young man because he struck me.
24 If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain,
Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me.”
Seth and Enosh
25 Adam and his wife had another son. She said, “God has given me a son to replace Abel, whom Cain killed.” So she named him Seth. 26 Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. It was then that people began using the Lord's holy name in worship.
Caïn et Abel
V. 1-8: cf. Hé 11:4. 1 Jn 3:12, 1 15. 1 S 15:22.1 Adam connut Ève, sa femme; elle conçut, et enfanta Caïn et elle dit: J’ai formé un homme avec l’aide de l’Éternel. 2 Elle enfanta encore son frère Abel. Abel fut berger, et Caïn fut laboureur. 3 Au bout de quelque temps, Caïn fit à l’Éternel une offrande des fruits de la terre; 4 et Abel, de son côté, en fit une des premiers-nés de son troupeau et de leur graisse. L’Éternel porta un regard favorable sur Abel et sur son offrande; 5 mais il ne porta pas un regard favorable sur Caïn et sur son offrande. Caïn fut très irrité, et son visage fut abattu. 6 Et l’Éternel dit à Caïn: Pourquoi es-tu irrité, et pourquoi ton visage est-il abattu? 7 Certainement, si tu agis bien, tu relèveras ton visage, et si tu agis mal, le péché se couche à la porte, et ses désirs se portent vers toi: mais toi, domine sur lui. 8 Cependant, Caïn adressa la parole à son frère Abel; mais, comme ils étaient dans les champs, Caïn se jeta sur son frère Abel, et le tua.
V. 9-16: cf. (Mt 23:35. Hé 12:24.) Job 15:20-24.9 L’Éternel dit à Caïn: Où est ton frère Abel? Il répondit: Je ne sais pas; suis-je le gardien de mon frère? 10 Et Dieu dit: Qu’as-tu fait? La voix du sang de ton frère crie de la terre jusqu’à moi. 11 Maintenant, tu seras maudit de la terre qui a ouvert sa bouche pour recevoir de ta main le sang de ton frère. 12 Quand tu cultiveras le sol, il ne te donnera plus sa richesse. Tu seras errant et vagabond sur la terre. 13 Caïn dit à l’Éternel: Mon châtiment est trop grand pour être supporté. 14 Voici, tu me chasses aujourd’hui de cette terre; je serai caché loin de ta face, je serai errant et vagabond sur la terre, et quiconque me trouvera me tuera. 15 L’Éternel lui dit: Si quelqu’un tuait Caïn, Caïn serait vengé sept fois. Et l’Éternel mit un signe sur Caïn pour que quiconque le trouverait ne le tuât point. 16 Puis, Caïn s’éloigna de la face de l’Éternel, et habita dans la terre de Nod, à l’orient d’Éden.
Descendants de Caïn
V. 17-24: cf. (Ge 2:24. Mt 19:4-9.)17 Caïn connut sa femme; elle conçut, et enfanta Hénoc. Il bâtit ensuite une ville, et il donna à cette ville le nom de son fils Hénoc. 18 Hénoc engendra Irad, Irad engendra Mehujaël, Mehujaël engendra Metuschaël, et Metuschaël engendra Lémec. 19 Lémec prit deux femmes: le nom de l’une était Ada, et le nom de l’autre Tsilla. 20 Ada enfanta Jabal: il fut le père de ceux qui habitent sous des tentes et près des troupeaux. 21 Le nom de son frère était Jubal: il fut le père de tous ceux qui jouent de la harpe et du chalumeau. 22 Tsilla, de son côté, enfanta Tubal-Caïn, qui forgeait tous les instruments d’airain et de fer. La sœur de Tubal-Caïn était Naama. 23 Lémec dit à ses femmes:
Ada et Tsilla, écoutez ma voix!
Femmes de Lémec, écoutez ma parole!
J’ai tué un homme pour ma blessure,
Et un jeune homme pour ma meurtrissure.
24 Caïn sera vengé sept fois,
Et Lémec soixante-dix-sept fois.
V. 25-26: cf. Ge 5:3-8.25 Adam connut encore sa femme; elle enfanta un fils, et l’appela du nom de Seth, car, dit-elle, Dieu m’a donné un autre fils à la place d’Abel, que Caïn a tué. 26 Seth eut aussi un fils, et il l’appela du nom d’Énosch. C’est alors que l’on commença à invoquer le nom de l’Éternel.
