Genesis · Chapter 4

[ edit] Adam forſoþe knewe Eue his wijf, þe which conceyuede, and bare Caym, ſeiynge, I haue had a man bi God. And eft ſoons ſhe bare his broþer Abel. Forſoþe Abel was a ſheepherd of ſheep, and Caym an erþe tilyer. And don it is after many dayes, þat Caym ſhulde offre of þe fruytis of þe erþe ȝiftis to þe Lord; Abel forſoþe offride of þe firſt gotun of his flok, and of þe fatnes of hem. And þe Lord bihelde to Abel and to his ȝiftis; to Caym forſoþe and to þe ȝiftis of hym he bihelde not. And Caym was greetli wroþ, and þerwiþ felle his chere.

And þe Lord ſeide to hym, Whi art þow wroþ, and whi þerwiþ falliþ þi face? ſhalt þow not reſeyue wel, if þou wel doſt; ellis forſoþe euel, anoon in þe ȝatis þi ſynnes ſhal ben at þee? but vndre þee ſhal be þe appetite of hym, and þow ſhalt haue lordſhip of hym. And Caym ſeide to Abel his broþer, Go we out. Whanne þei weren in þe feeld, aroos þere wiþ Caym aȝens his broþer Abel, and ſlowe him. And þe Lord ſeide to Caym, Where is Abel þi broþer? Þe which anſweryde, I wote neuere; wheþer am I þe keper of my broþer? And he ſeide to hym, What haſt þow don? þe vois of þe blood of þi broþer crieþ to me fro þe erþe.

Now þan þow ſhalt be curſid vpon þe erþe, þe which openyde his mowþe, and toke þe blood of þi broþer of þin honde. Whanne þow worchiſt þe erþe, it ſhal not ȝiue þee his fruytis; vagaunt and fer fugitif þow ſhalt be vpon þe erþe alle þe daies of þi lijf. And Caym ſeide to þe Lord, More is my wickidnes þan þat I deſerue forȝeuenes; ſe! þow caſtiſt me out to day fro þe face of þe erþe; and fro þi face I ſhal be hid, and I ſhal be vagaunt and fer fugitif in þe erþe; al þanne þat ſhal fynd me ſhal ſle me. And þe Lord ſeide to hym, It ſhal not be do ſo, but al þat ſhal ſle Caym ſhal ſeuene fold be punyſſhid. And þe Lord ſette a ſigne in Caym, þat ech þat fonde hym ſhulde not ſle hym.

And Caym, paſſid out fro þe face of þe Lord, dwellide fer fugitif in þe erþe, at þe eeſt plage of Eden. Caym forſoþe knewe his wijf, þe which forſoþe conſeyuede, and bare Enok; and he bildide a citee, and callide þe name of it after þe name of his ſone Enok. Forſoþe Enok gate Yrad, and Yrad gate Manyael, and Manyael gate Maþuſael, and Maþuſael gate Lameþ; þe which toke two wyues, þe name of þe toon Ada, and name of þe toþer Sella. And Ada gate Jabel, þat was fadre of dwellers in tentis and of ſheepherdis; and þe name of his broþer Tubal, he was þe fadre of ſyngerys in harp and orgon.

Sella forſoþe gate Tubalcaym, þat was an hamer ſmyþ, and a ſmyþ into alle werkis of bras and of yrun; þe ſiſter forſoþe of Tubalcaym, Noema. And Lameþ ſeide to his wijfes Ade and Selle, Here ȝe my vois, wifes of Lameþ, herken ȝe my word; for I ſlowe a man into my wound, and a litle waxen man into my wanneſſe; veniaunce ſhal be ȝouun of Caym ſeuene fold, of Lameþ forſoþe ſeuenti ſiþes ſeuenfold. Forſoþe ȝit Adam knewe his wijf, and ſhe bare a child, and callide þe name of hym Seþ, ſeiynge, God ſette to me anoþer ſeed for Abel, whom Caym ſlowe. But and to Seþ is borne a ſone, whom he callide Enos; þis bigan inwardli to clepe þe name of þe Lord.