The Message Prayerful Reading Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 26
G enesis 4
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1 Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, “I’ve gotten a man, with God’s help!”
2 Then she had another baby, Abel. Abel
was a herdsman and Cain a farmer.
3-5 Time passed. Cain brought an offering
to God from the produce of his farm. Abel
also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat.
God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and
his offering didn’t get his approval. Cain lost
his temper and went into a sulk.
6-7 God spoke to Cain: “Why this tantrum?
Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you
be accepted? And if you d
on’t do well, sin is
lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; i t’s out
to get you, you’ve got to master it.”
8 Cain had words with his brother. They
were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his
brother and killed him.
9 God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your
brother?”
He said, “How should I know? Am I his
babysitter?”
10-12 God said, “What have you done! The
voice of your b
rother’s blood is calling to
me from the ground. From now on you’ll get
nothing but curses from this ground; y
ou’ll
be driven from this ground that has opened
its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You’ll farm this ground, but it
will no longer give you its best. You’ll be a
homeless wanderer on Earth.”
13-14 Cain said to God, “My punishment is
too much. I can’t take it! You’ve thrown me off
the land and I can never again face you. I’m
a homeless wanderer on Earth and whoever
finds me will kill me.”
15 God told him, “No. Anyone who kills
Cain will pay for it seven times over.” God
put a mark on Cain to protect him so that no
one who met him would kill him.
16 Cain left the presence of God and lived
in No-Man’s-Land, east of Eden.
17-18 Cain slept with his wife. She conceived and had Enoch. He then built a city
and named it after his son, Enoch.
Enoch had Irad,
Irad had Mehujael,
Mehujael had Methushael,
Methushael had Lamech.
19-22Lamech married two wives, Adah and
illah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor
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of all who live in tents and herd cattle. His
brother’s name was Jubal, the ancestor of all
who play the lyre and flute. Zillah gave birth
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to Tubal-Cain, who worked at the forge making bronze and iron tools. Tubal-Cain’s sister
was Naamah.
23-24 Lamech said to his wives,
Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
you wives of Lamech, hear me out:
I killed a man for wounding me,
a young man who attacked me.
If Cain is avenged seven times,
for Lamech it’s seventy-seven!
25-26 Adam slept with his wife again. She
had a son whom she named Seth. She said,
“God has given me another child in place of
Abel whom Cain killed.” And then Seth had
a son whom he named Enosh.
That’s when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God.
The Family Tree of the Human Race
1-2 This is the family tree of the human
race: When God created the human race,
he made it godlike, with a nature akin to God.
He created both male and female and blessed
them, the whole human race.
3-5 When Adam was 130 years old, he had
a son who was just like him, his very spirit
and image, and named him Seth. After the
birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years,
having more sons and daughters. Adam lived
a total of 930 years. And he died.
6-8 When Seth was 105 years old, he had
Enosh. After Seth had Enosh, he lived another 807 years, having more sons and
daughters. Seth lived a total of 912 years.
And he died.
9-11 When
Enosh was ninety years old,
he had Kenan. After he had Kenan, he lived
another 815 years, having more sons and
daughters. Enosh lived a total of 905 years.
And he died.
12-14 When Kenan was seventy years old,
he had Mahalalel. After he had Mahalalel,
he lived another 840 years, having more
sons and daughters. Kenan lived a total of
910 years. And he died.
15-17 When Mahalalel was sixty-five years
old, he had Jared. After he had Jared, he
lived another 830 years, having more sons
and daughters. Mahalalel lived a total of 895
years. And he died.
18-20 When Jared was 162 years old, he had
Enoch. After he had Enoch, he lived another
800 years, having more sons and daughters.
Jared lived a total of 962 years. And he died.
21-23 When Enoch was sixty-five years old,
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