Genesis 4–6
1 Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived, gave birth to Cain and said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 Then she gave birth again to his brother Abel.
And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel also brought the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had respect for Abel and for his offering, 5 but for Cain and for his offering, He did not have respect. And Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.
6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, shall you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must rule over it.”
8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
9 The Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 And then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11 Now you are cursed from the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 From now on when you till the ground, it will not yield for you its best. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 You have driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from your face will I be hidden; and I will be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Then the Lord put a mark upon Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him. 16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 22 Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain, a forger of every tool of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, you wives of Lamech, and listen to my speech.
For I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man who hurt me.
24 If Cain will be avenged sevenfold, then truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
25 Adam had relations with his wife again, and she had another son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another offspring instead of Abel because Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also was born a son, and he called his name Enosh.
At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.
Chapter 5
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam.
In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female. He blessed them and called them Mankind in the day when they were created.
3 Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his own image, and called his name Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.
6 Seth lived one hundred and five years and became the father of Enosh. 7 Seth lived after the birth of Enosh eight hundred and seven years and had other sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
9 Enosh lived ninety years and became the father of Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after the birth of Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years and had other sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.
12 Kenan lived seventy years and became the father of Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after the birth of Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years and had other sons and daughters. 14 So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years and became the father of Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared eight hundred and thirty years and had other sons and daughters. 17 So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years and became the father of Enoch. 19 Jared lived after the birth of Enoch eight hundred years and had other sons and daughters. 20 So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.
21 Enoch lived sixty-five years and became the father of Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah for three hundred years and had other sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more because God took him.
25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years and became the father of Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after the birth of Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years and had other sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.
28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years and had a son. 29 He named his son Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.” 30 Lamech lived after the birth of Noah five hundred and ninety-five years and had other sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.
32 Noah was five hundred years old and became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Chapter 6
1 When men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair and took as wives any they chose. 3 The Lord said, “My Spirit will not always strive with man, for he is flesh; yet his days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was continually only evil. 6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah.
Noah was a just man and blameless among his contemporaries. Noah walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth was corrupt before God and filled with violence. 12 God looked on the earth and saw it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 So God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make an ark of cypress wood for yourself. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 And this is how you must make it: The length of the ark will be three hundred cubits, the width of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. 16 Make an opening one cubit below the top of the ark all around; and you must set the door of the ark on the side. Make it with a lower, a second, and a third story. 17 I will bring a flood of waters on the earth to destroy all flesh, wherever there is the breath of life under heaven, and everything that is on the earth will die. 18 But I will establish My covenant with you; you must go into the ark—you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 Bring every living thing of all flesh, two of every kind, into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal, and of every kind of creeping thing of the earth will come to you to be kept alive. 21 Also, take with you of every kind of food that is eaten and gather it to yourself, and it will be for food for you and for them.”
22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
Matthew 2
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are no longer least among the princes of Judah; for out of you shall come a Governor, who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, carefully inquired of them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search diligently for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring me word again, so that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed. And the star which they saw in the east went before them until it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great excitement. 11 And when they came into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But being warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
13 Now when they departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and escape to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the young Child to kill Him.”
14 When he rose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod, to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called My Son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was utterly furious and sent forth and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding region, from two years old and under, based on the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet:
18 “In Ramah a voice was heard, grieving and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be comforted, because they are no more.”
19 But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”
21 And he rose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Nevertheless, being warned by God in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
