Chapter 4
1
1 The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the LORD."
2
Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil.
3
In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil,
4
while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
5
but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen.
6
So the LORD said to Cain: "Why are you so resentful and crestfallen?
7
2 If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master."
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Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out in the field." When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
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Then the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
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The LORD then said: "What have you done! Listen: your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil!
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Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
12
If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on the earth."
13
Cain said to the LORD: "My punishment is too great to bear.
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Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight."
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3 Not so!" the LORD said to him. "If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold." So the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight.
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4 Cain then left the LORD'S presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
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5 Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. Cain also became the founder of a city, which he named after his son Enoch.
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To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehujael; Mehujael became the father of Methusael, and Methusael became the father of Lamech.
19
Lamech took two wives; the name of the first was Adah, and the name of the second Zillah.
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Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who dwell in tents and keep cattle.
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His brother's name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe.
22
Zillah, on her part, gave birth to Tubalcain, the ancestor of all who forge instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
23
Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my utterance: I have killed a man for wounding me, a boy for bruising me.
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If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."
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6 Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son whom she called Seth. "God has granted me more offspring in place of Abel," she said, "because Cain slew him."
26
To Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to invoke the LORD by name.
Chapter 5
1
1 This is the record of the descendants of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God;
2
he created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and named them "man."
3
Adam was one hundred and thirty years old when he begot a son in his likeness, after his image; and he named him Seth.
4
Adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of Seth, and he had other sons and daughters.
5
The whole lifetime of Adam was nine hundred and thirty years; then he died.
6
When Seth was one hundred and five years old, he became the father of Enosh.
7
Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after the birth of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters.
8
The whole lifetime of Seth was nine hundred and twelve years; then he died.
9
When Enosh was ninety years old, he became the father of Kenan.
10
Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after the birth of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters.
11
The whole lifetime of Enosh was nine hundred and five years; then he died.
12
When Kenan was seventy years old, he became the father of Mahalalel.
13
Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after the birth of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters.
14
The whole lifetime of Kenan was nine hundred and ten years; then he died.
15
When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Jared.
16
Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after the birth of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters.
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The whole lifetime of Mahalalel was eight hundred and ninety-five years; then he died.
18
When Jared was one hundred and sixty-two years old, he became the father of Enoch.
19
Jared lived eight hundred years after the birth of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters.
20
The whole lifetime of Jared was nine hundred and sixty-two years; then he died.
21
When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he became the father of Methuselah.
22
Enoch lived three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.
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The whole lifetime of Enoch was three hundred and sixty-five years.
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2 Then Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took him.
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When Methuselah was one hundred and eighty-seven years old, he became the father of Lamech.
26
Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after the birth of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters.
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The whole lifetime of Methuselah was nine hundred and sixty-nine years; then he died.
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When Lamech was one hundred and eighty-two years old, he begot a son
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3 and named him Noah, saying, "Out of the very ground that the LORD has put under a curse, this one shall bring us relief from our work and the toil of our hands."
30
Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after the birth of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters.
31
The whole lifetime of Lamech was seven hundred and seventy-seven years; then he died.
32 When Noah was five hundred years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
A) There seems to be a weird sense of time here. I am curious if people actually believe that these are human years that they mention.
B) I do not believe that the God character is "All knowing." He has to listen for them.
B) I do not believe that the God character is "All knowing." He has to listen for them.
C) Does this mean that these are ALL the people on the planet, or just the people in their immediate area?
D) Cain and Able - It bothers me that I don't know why God did not show favor to Cain's offering. Possibly that is the point, that we don't always know. Still God speaks to Cain and asks him, why he feels that way, and that although he feels bad, he has the power to control his feelings. Other than this part, I get very confused about what the intentions for the reader are.
I welcome all comments from ANY background or belief or non-belief system. Please be kind when speaking to each other. Remember that this is only the very first pages of a very long piece of work. Don't be a spoiler quoting from sections we have not entered yet. We are trying to see, what is it about this book :)
MTFBWU
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