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Genesis · Bible in Basic English

Genesis 4 Bible in Basic English

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About BBE
  • Scholarly edition
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew (not verified)
  • NT: Critical text (not verified)
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Simplified language
  • 1965
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 And the man had connection with Eve his wife, and she became with child and gave birth to Cain, and said, I have got a man from the Lord. 2 Then again she became with child and gave birth to Abel, his brother. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a farmer. 3 And after a time, Cain gave to the Lord an offering of the fruits of the earth. 4 And Abel gave an offering of the young lambs of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord was pleased with Abel's offering; 5 But in Cain and his offering he had no pleasure. And Cain was angry and his face became sad. 6 And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? and why is your face sad? 7 If you do well, will you not have honour? and if you do wrong, sin is waiting at the door, desiring to have you, but do not let it be your master. 8 And Cain said to his brother, Let us go into the field: and when they were in the field, Cain made an attack on his brother Abel and put him to death. 9 And the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? And he said, I have no idea: am I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the earth. 11 And now you are cursed from the earth, whose mouth is open to take your brother's blood from your hand; 12 No longer will the earth give you her fruit as the reward of your work; you will be a wanderer in flight over the earth. 13 And Cain said, My punishment is greater than my strength. 14 You have sent me out this day from the face of the earth and from before your face; I will be a wanderer in flight over the earth, and whoever sees me will put me to death. 15 And the Lord said, Truly, if Cain is put to death, seven lives will be taken for his. And the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one might put him to death. 16 And Cain went away from before the face of the Lord, and made his living-place in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain had connection with his wife and she became with child and gave birth to Enoch: and he made a town, and gave the town the name of Enoch after his son. 18 And Enoch had a son Irad: and Irad became the father of Mehujael: and Mehujael became the father of Methushael: and Methushael became the father of Lamech. 19 And Lamech had two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 And Adah gave birth to Jabal: he was the father of such as are living in tents and keep cattle. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all players on instruments of music. 22 And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, who is the father of every maker of cutting instruments of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, give ear to my voice; you wives of Lamech, give attention to my words, for I would put a man to death for a wound, and a young man for a blow; 24 If seven lives are to be taken as punishment for Cain's death, seventy-seven will be taken for Lamech's. 25 And Adam had connection with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son to whom she gave the name of Seth: for she said, God has given me another seed in place of Abel, whom Cain put to death. 26 And Seth had a son, and he gave him the name of Enosh: at this time men first made use of the name of the Lord in worship.

People & places in this chapter

From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.

People

  • Abel

    The righteous shepherd

    A shepherd whose faithful offering pleased God, murdered by his own brother.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4; Hebrews 11:4

  • Adah

    Wife of Lamech

    One of Lamech's two wives, who gave birth to Jabal and was addressed with Zillah in Lamech's boast.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:19; Genesis 4:20; Genesis 4:23

  • Adam

    The first man

    Formed from the dust by God's own hand, the father of all who live.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 1–5

  • Cain

    The firstborn son

    The firstborn of humanity, whose jealousy led to the first murder.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4

  • Enoch

    Cain's firstborn son

    Cain's son, after whom Cain named the first city recorded in Scripture.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:17-18

  • Enosh

    Son of Seth

    In his days people first began to call on the name of the LORD.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:26; 5:6–11

  • Eve

    First woman, first mother

    The first woman, formed from Adam and named "the mother of all living."

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 2-4

  • Irad

    Descendant of Cain

    Son of Enoch and grandson of Cain, listed in Cain's genealogy.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18

  • Jabal

    Father of herdsmen

    Son of Lamech, called the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:20

  • Jubal

    Father of musicians

    Son of Lamech, called the father of all who play the harp and flute.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:21

  • Lamech

    Warrior who boasted

    Descendant of Cain who took two wives and boasted of avenging himself with violence.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18-24

  • Mehujael

    Descendant of Cain

    Son of Irad in the line of Cain, named only in the genealogy.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18

  • Methushael

    Descendant of Cain

    Son of Mehujael and father of Lamech in the line of Cain.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18

  • Naamah

    Sister of Tubal-cain

    Named in Lamech's family as the sister of Tubal-cain.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:22

  • Seth

    The appointed son

    The son granted in Abel's place, through whom the godly line continued.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:25–5:8

  • Tubal-cain

    Forger of metal tools

    Son of Lamech and Zillah, a forger of all tools of bronze and iron.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:22

  • Zillah

    Wife of Lamech

    One of Lamech's two wives, who gave birth to Tubal-cain and was addressed with Adah in Lamech's boast.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:19; Genesis 4:22; Genesis 4:23

Cross references (26)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 1 John 3:12; Genesis 3:15; Genesis 4:25
  2. 2 1 John 3:12; 1 John 3:15; Luke 11:51; John 8:44; 1 John 3:10
  3. 3 Numbers 18:12; Leviticus 2:1–11
  4. 4 Hebrews 11:4; Proverbs 3:9; Exodus 13:12; Numbers 18:17; 1 Peter 1:19–20
  5. 5 Hebrews 11:4; Job 5:2; Isaiah 3:10–11; Luke 15:28–30; Matthew 20:15
  6. 6 Isaiah 1:18; Job 5:2; Luke 15:31–32; Jeremiah 2:31; Matthew 20:15
  7. 7 James 1:15; Romans 2:6–10; Isaiah 3:10–11; Romans 6:16; Hebrews 11:4
  8. 8 Matthew 23:35; 1 John 3:12–15; Jude 11; Proverbs 26:24–26; Luke 11:51
  9. 9 Proverbs 28:13; John 8:44; Psalm 9:12; Psalm 10:13–14; Genesis 37:32
  10. 10 Hebrews 12:24; Psalm 72:14; Hebrews 11:4; Isaiah 5:7; James 5:4
  11. 11 Galatians 3:10; Job 16:18; Genesis 3:14; Deuteronomy 28:15–20; Job 31:38–40
  12. 12 Hosea 9:17; Leviticus 26:20; Leviticus 26:36; Deuteronomy 28:23–24; Psalm 109:10
  13. 13 Job 15:22; Revelation 16:9
  14. 14 Numbers 35:19; Psalm 143:7; Job 15:20–24; Proverbs 28:1; Deuteronomy 28:65
  15. 15 Ezekiel 9:4; Psalm 79:12; Genesis 4:24; Ezekiel 9:6; Revelation 14:11
  16. 16 Job 2:7; Genesis 4:14; 2 Kings 13:23; Jeremiah 23:39; Genesis 3:8
  17. 17 Daniel 4:30; Ecclesiastes 2:4–11; Psalm 49:11; Genesis 5:18; Luke 17:28–29
  18. 18 Genesis 36:2; Genesis 5:21
  19. 19 Genesis 2:24; Genesis 2:18; Matthew 19:4–6; Matthew 19:8
  20. 20 Genesis 25:27; Romans 4:11–12; John 8:44; Jeremiah 35:9–10; 1 Chronicles 2:50–52
  21. 21 Amos 6:5; Job 21:12; Romans 4:11–12; Isaiah 5:12; Genesis 31:27
  22. 22 Deuteronomy 33:25; 2 Chronicles 2:7; Numbers 31:22; Deuteronomy 8:9; Exodus 25:3
  23. 23 Numbers 23:18; Leviticus 19:18; Exodus 20:13; Judges 9:7
  24. 24 Matthew 18:22; Genesis 4:15
  25. 25 Genesis 4:8; Luke 3:38; Genesis 5:3–4; Genesis 4:10–11; 1 Chronicles 1:1
  26. 26 Psalm 116:17; 1 Kings 18:24; Joel 2:32; Zephaniah 3:9; Luke 3:38

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 4:3–8 Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians (Chapters I–VI)

    And it came to pass, while they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." Ye see, brethren, how envy and jealousy led to the murder of a brother.

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  2. Quotes verse 4:7 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book IV, Chapter XVIII)

    … is without blame, and worketh no evil --that God who reveals what is hidden [in the heart], but who worketh not evil--when Cain was by no means at rest, He saith to him: "To thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." Thus did He in like manner speak to Pilate: "Thou shouldest have no power at …

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  3. Quotes verse 4:17 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XV, Chapters 8–9)

    Therefore, although it is written, "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," it does not follow that we are to believe this to have been his first-born; for we cannot suppose that this is proved by the …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)

  4. Quotes verse 4:24 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily LXXIV)

    Heardest thou not Lamech saying, "Of Lamech vengeance shall be taken seventy times sevenfold;" that is, "I am deserving of more punishment than Cain." Why could this be?

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)

  5. Quotes verse 4:26 Gregory of Nazianzus, Theological Orations (The Second Theological Oration)

    Thus Enos "hoped to call upon the Name of the Lord." Hope was that for which he is commended; and that, not that he should know God, but that he should call upon him.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)