Daily Bible Reading, Day 2 (Genesis 4-7)

Cain, Abel, and the Spread of Violence

Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived, and gave birth to Cain. And she said, I have gotten a man with the help of Yahweh. And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground.

So it happened in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part, also brought, of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering, but for Cain and for his offering he had no regard.

So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell. Then Yahweh said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door, and its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.

Then Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and it happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and killed him. Then Yahweh said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know, am I my brother's keeper?

And he said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground. And now, cursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you. You will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth. And Cain said to Yahweh, My punishment is too great to bear. Behold, you have driven me this day from the face of the ground, and from your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will be that whoever finds me will kill me.

So Yahweh said to him, Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold. And Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one who found him would strike him. Then Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch, and he built a city and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son. Now to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehushael, and Mehushael was the father of Lamech.

And Lamech took for himself two wives, the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the other Zillah. And Ada gave birth to Jabal, he was the father of those who live in tents and have livestock. And his brother's name was Jubal, he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.

As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-Cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron, and the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naama. And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Zillah, hear my voice, you wives of Lamech, give ear to my word, for I have killed a man for striking me, and a boy for wounding me.

If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold. Then Adam knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth. For she said, God has set for me another seed in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.

And to Seth, to him also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of Yahweh. Genesis chapter 5. This is the book of the generations of Adam, in the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.

He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them man in the day when they were created. When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

Then the days of Adam, after he became the father of Seth, were eight hundred years, and he became the father of other sons and daughters. So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

The Genealogy of Adam to Noah

And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

And Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan. Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, after he became the father of Kenan, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

Years.

So all the days of Enosh were 905 years and he died. And Kenan lived 70 years and became the father of Mahalalel. Then Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel and he became the father of others sons and daughters.

So all the days of Kenan were 910 years and he died. And Mahalalel lived 65 years and became the father of Jared. Then Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

So all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years and he died. And Jared lived 162 years and became the father of Enoch. Then Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

So all the days of Jared were 962 years and he died. And Enoch lived 65 years and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God 300 years after he became the father of Methuselah and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. And Methuselah lived 187 years and became the father of Lamech. Then Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

So all the days of Methuselah were 969 years and he died. And Lamech lived 182 years and became the father of a son. Now he called his name Noah saying, this one will give us rest from our work and from the pain of our hands arising from the ground which Yahweh has cursed.

Then Lamech lived 595 years after he became the father of Noah and he became the father of other sons and daughters. So all the days of Lamech were 777 years and he died. And Noah was 500 years old and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The Corruption of the Earth and God’s Judgment

Genesis chapter 6. Now it happened when men began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were good in appearance and they took wives for themselves whomever they chose.

Then Yahweh said, my spirit shall not strive with man forever because he indeed is flesh, nevertheless his days shall be 120 years. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterward when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them.

Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then Yahweh saw that the evil of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And Yahweh regretted that he had made man on the earth and he was grieved in his heart.

And Yahweh said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, for I regret that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh.

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among those in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah became the father of three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence.

And God saw the earth and behold it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, the end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.

And behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. You shall make the ark with rooms and you shall cover it inside and out with pitch. Now this is how you shall make it.

The length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits. You shall make a window for the ark and complete it to one cubit from the top and set the door of the ark in the side of it.

You shall make it with lower second and third decks. As for me, behold, I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall breathe its last, but I will establish my covenant with you and you shall enter the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your son's wives with you and of every living thing of all flesh.

You shall bring two of every kind into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female of the birds after their kind and of the animals after their kind of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind.

Two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible and gather it to yourself and it shall be food for you and for them. Thus Noah did according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

Noah Enters the Ark Before the Flood

Genesis chapter 7. Then Yahweh said to Noah, Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before me in this generation. You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female, and of the animals that are not clean, two, a male and his female, also of the birds of the sky by sevens, male and female, to keep their seed alive on the face of all the earth.

For after seven more days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made. And Noah did according to all that Yahweh had commanded him.

Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth. Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his son's wives with him entered the ark because of the water of the flood, of clean animals and animals that are not clean, and birds and everything that creeps on the ground.

By twos they came to Noah into the ark, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. Now it happened after the seven days that the water of the flood came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on this day all the fountains of the great deep split open, and the flood gates of the sky were opened.

Then the rain came upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. On this very day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.

They and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every fowl, every winged creature.

So they came to Noah into the ark by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him, and Yahweh closed it behind him.

Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water multiplied and lifted up the ark so that it rose above the earth. And the water prevailed and multiplied greatly upon the earth, and the ark went on the surface of the water.

And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered. The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. And all flesh that moved on the earth breathed its last, that is, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, as well as all mankind, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, of all that was on the dry land died.

Thus he blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth. And only Noah remained, and those that were with him in the ark.

And the water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.