Genesis 4
The New Consensus Bible is an AI-generated contemporary rendering, built from seven public-domain translations and the 20-tradition consensus. See all the work behind this chapter.
1Now the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have acquired a man with the LORD." 2And she again bore his brother, Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a worker of the ground. 3And it happened at the end of days that Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground as an offering to the LORD. 4And Abel, also he brought some of the firstborn of his flock, and of their fat. And the LORD looked with favor upon Abel and upon his offering, 5but upon Cain and upon his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain burned with anger exceedingly, and his face fell. 6And the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7Is it not that if you do well, there will be a lifting up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." 8And Cain said to Abel his brother, "Let us go to the field." And it happened, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him. 9And the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I the keeper of my brother?" 10And he said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's bloods is crying out to me from the ground. 11And now, cursed are you from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's bloods from your hand. 12When you work the ground, it will not again yield its strength to you; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth." 13And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14Look, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth, and it will be that anyone finding me will kill me." 15And the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him down. 16And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he was building a city, and he called the name of the city like the name of his son, Enoch. 18And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehijael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. 19And Lamech took for himself two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and with livestock. 21And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who handle the lyre and pipe. 22And Zillah, also she bore Tubal-Cain, a forger of every implement of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. 23And Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to my speech: for a man I have killed for wounding me, and a youth for striking me. 24If Cain is to be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy and sevenfold." 25And the man knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, saying, "For God has appointed for me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain killed him." 26And to Seth, also to him a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time it was begun to call upon the name of the LORD.
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Genesis 4
The first brothers offer their labor to the Creator, but jealousy unleashes violence, sending humanity deeper into exile while a new generation begins to call upon the Lord.
The New Consensus Bible text of Genesis 4, read aloud over the chapter’s eight scenes. The words appear below as they are read.
Film, illustrations and song are AI-generated from this chapter’s consensus — not a depiction any tradition has approved. The imagery is deliberately neutral on the points the traditions dispute, and every word spoken or printed is the New Consensus Bible quoted verbatim.