1Adam lå hos sin kone, Eva, og hun blev gravid og fødte en søn, som fik navnet Kain, for—som hun sagde: „Med Guds hjælp har jeg fået[1] en søn.”2Hendes næste søn fik navnet Abel.[2] Abel vogtede får, og Kain dyrkede jorden.3Engang bragte Kain en offergave til Gud af sin høst.4Abel bragte også en offergave, det bedste kød fra sine førstefødte lam. Gud accepterede Abels offergave,5men ikke Kains. Det blev Kain meget vred og bitter over.6„Hvorfor er du vred?” spurgte Gud. „Hvorfor går du og kigger ned i jorden?7Når du gør det gode, kan du frit se andre i øjnene. Hvis du derimod gør, hvad der er ondt, så lurer synden ved din dør. Den ønsker at overmande dig, men du skal være herre over den.”8En dag sagde Kain til sin bror, Abel: „Lad os gå en tur ud på marken.” Mens de var derude, overfaldt Kain sin bror og slog ham ihjel.9Så spurgte Gud Kain: „Hvor er din bror, Abel?” „Hvor skulle jeg vide det fra?” svarede Kain. „Jeg skal vel ikke gå og holde øje med ham!”10Men Gud sagde: „Hvad har du dog gjort? Din brors blod råber til mig fra jorden.11Derfor skal du forvises fra agerjorden, som har drukket din brors blod.12Den skal ikke længere give dig føden. Fra nu af skal du vandre hvileløst fra sted til sted.”13Kain blev fortvivlet. „Den straf er ikke til at bære!” udbrød han.14„Du jager mig væk fra mine marker og gør mig hjemløs. Du støder mig bort fra din beskyttelse, så enhver, der ser mig, kan slå mig ihjel.”15Men Gud svarede: „Hvis du bliver slået ihjel, skal du blive hævnet syv gange.” Så satte Gud et mærke på Kain som en advarsel, så ingen ville turde slå ham ihjel.16Derpå rejste Kain væk fra Gud og bosatte sig i landet Nod,[3] som lå øst for Eden.
Kains slægt
17Kain lå hos sin kone, og hun blev gravid og fødte en søn, som fik navnet Enok. Kain grundlagde også en by og kaldte den Enok efter sin søn.18Enok blev far til Irad, Irad blev far til Mehujael, Mehujael blev far til Metushael, og Metushael blev far til Lemek.19Lemek tog sig to koner, Ada og Silla.20Ada fik en søn, som fik navnet Jabal. Han blev stamfar til dem, der bor i telte og holder kvæg.21Hans bror hed Jubal og blev stamfar til dem, der spiller på lyre og fløjte.22Silla fik en søn, som blev kaldt Tubal-Kain. Han blev stamfar til dem, der smeder kobber[4] og jern. Tubal-Kain havde en søster ved navn Na’ama.23Lemek sagde engang til sine koner: „Ada og Silla, hør på mig, lyt til, hvad jeg siger! Jeg har dræbt en ung mand som hævn for et sår, en dreng som hævn for en skramme.24Hvis Kain skulle hævnes 7 gange, så skal jeg hævnes 77 gange!”
Adam og Eva får sønnen Set
25Adam og Eva fik en søn mere, som de kaldte Set,[5] for—som Eva sagde: „Gud har givet mig en anden søn i stedet for Abel, som Kain slog ihjel.”26Set fik senere en søn, som han kaldte Enosh. På den tid begyndte man at påkalde og tilbede Gud som Herren over alle ting.
1Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten[1] a man with the help of the Lord.”2And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.3In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, (3.Mos 2,12; 4.Mos 18,12)4and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, (2.Mos 13,12; 4.Mos 18,17; Ord 3,9; Heb 11,4)5but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. (Ord 21,27)6The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?7If you do well, will you not be accepted?[2] And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to[3] you, but you must rule over it.” (1.Mos 3,16; Præd 8,12; Es 3,10; Rom 2,6)8Cain spoke to Abel his brother.[4] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. (Matt 23,35; Heb 12,24; 1.Joh 3,12; Judas 1,11)9Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Joh 8,44)10And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. (Heb 12,24; Åb 6,10)11And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. (4.Mos 35,33; 5.Mos 27,24)12When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”13Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.[5] (1.Mos 19,15)14Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” (1.Mos 9,6; 4.Mos 35,19; 2.Kong 24,20; Job 15,20; Salm 51,11; Salm 143,7; Jer 52,3)15Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. (Salm 79,12; Ez 9,4; Ez 9,6; Åb 14,9; Åb 14,11)16Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,[6] east of Eden.17Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.18To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.19And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.20Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.21His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.22Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.23Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.24If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” (1.Mos 4,15)25And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed[7] for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”26To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. (1.Mos 5,6; 1.Krøn 1,1; Salm 116,17; Zef 3,9; Zak 13,9; Luk 3,38)