7
Genesis 4 out to me from the ground . 11 Now you are un der a curse and driven from the ground , which opened its mouth to receive your broth er ’ s blood from your hand . 12 When you work the ground , it will no lon ger yield its crops for you . You will be a rest less wan derer on the earth .”
13 Cain said to the Lord , “ My pun ishment is more than I can bear . 14 To day you are driv ing me from the land , and I will be hid den from your pres ence ; I will be a rest less wan derer on the earth , and who ever finds me will kill me .”
15 But the Lord said to him , “ Not so a ; any one who kills Cain will suf fer vengeance seven times over .” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him . 16 So Cain went out from the Lord ’ s pres ence and lived in the land of Nod , b east of Eden .
17 Cain made love to his wife , and she be came preg nant and gave birth to Enoch . Cain was then build ing a city , and he named it af ter his son Enoch . 18 To Enoch was born Irad , and Irad was the fa ther of Me hu jael , and Me hu jael was the fa ther of Me thu shael , and Methu shael was the fa ther of La mech .
19 La mech mar ried two women , one named Adah and the other Zil lah .
20 Adah gave birth to Ja bal ; he was the fa ther of those who live in tents and raise live stock . 21 His broth er ’ s name was Ju bal ; he was the fa ther of all who play stringed in stru ments and pipes . 22 Zil lah also had a son , Tu balCain , who forged all kinds of tools out of c bronze and iron . Tu bal Cain ’ s sis ter was Na a mah . 23 La mech said to his wives ,
“ Adah and Zillah , listen to me ; wives of Lamech , hear my words .
I have killed a man for wounding me , a young man for injuring me .
24 If Cain is avenged seven times , then Lamech seventyseven times .”
25 Adam made love to his wife again , and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth , d say ing , “ God has granted me an other child in place of Abel , since Cain killed him .” 26 Seth also had a son , and he named him Enosh .
At that time peo ple be gan to call on e the name of the Lord .
a
15 Septuagint , Vulgate and Syriac ; Hebrew b
Very well 16 Nod means wandering ( see c
verses 12 and 14 ). 22 Or who instructed all d
who work in 25 Seth probably means e granted . 26 Or to proclaim
MEET : Adah and Zillah
GENESIS 4:19 – 22
Lamech , the many- greats- grandson of Adam , has two wives Adah and Zillah . Adah has two sons : Jabal and Jubal . Jabal is skilled in raising animals . Jubal has other talents ; he is the father of musicians — flute and harp players . Zillah has a son named Tubal- Cain . He becomes an expert in making tools out of bronze and iron . This all happened so long ago . How is it important for us ? Perhaps only so we realize God gives us gifts we can use for him , and he cares about the smallest details of our lives .