Genesis 4; Genesis 5; Genesis 6; Matthew 2

1 Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the LORD's help I have had a baby boy."

2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep. Cain worked the ground.

3 After some time, Cain gathered some of the things he had grown. He brought them as an offering to the Lord.

4 But Abel brought the fattest parts of some of the lambs from his flock. They were the male animals that were born first to their mothers. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering.

5 But he wasn't pleased with Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry. His face was sad.

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why are you looking so sad?

7 Do what is right. Then you will be accepted. If you don't do what is right, sin is waiting at your door to grab you. It longs to have you. But you must rule over it."

8 Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." So they went out. There Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I supposed to look after my brother?"

10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.

11 "So I am putting a curse on you. I am driving you away from the ground. It has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

12 When you work the ground, it will not produce its crops for you anymore. You will be a restless person who wanders around on the earth."

13 Cain said to the Lord, "You are punishing me more than I can take.

14 Today you are driving me away from the land. I will be hidden from you. I'll be a restless person who wanders around on the earth. Anyone who finds me will kill me."

15 But the LORD said to him, "No. Anyone who kills you will be paid back seven times." The LORD put a mark on Cain. Then anyone who found him wouldn't kill him.

16 So Cain went away from the LORD. He lived in the land of Nod. It was east of Eden.

17 Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. At that time Cain was building a city. He named it after his son Enoch.

18 Enoch had a son named Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married two women. One was named Adah, and the other was named Zillah.

20 Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.

21 His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of everyone who plays the harp and flute.

22 Zillah also had a son. His name was Tubal-Cain. He made all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me. You wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man because he wounded me. I have killed a young man because he hurt me.

24 Anyone who would have killed Cain would have been paid back seven times. But anyone who hurts me will be paid back 77 times."

25 Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth. She said, "God has given me another child. The child will take the place of Abel, because Cain killed him."

26 Seth also had a son. He named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship the Lord.

1 Here is the written story of Adam's family line. When God created man, he made him in his own likeness.

2 He created them as male and female. He blessed them. And he called them "man" when they were created.

3 When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son in his own likeness. He named him Seth.

4 Adam lived 800 years after Seth was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

5 Adam lived a total of 930 years. Then he died.

6 Seth lived 105 years. Then he became the father of Enosh.

7 Seth lived 807 years after Enosh was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

8 Seth lived a total of 912 years. Then he died.

9 Enosh lived 90 years. Then he became the father of Kenan.

10 Enosh lived 815 years after Kenan was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

11 Enosh lived a total of 905 years. Then he died.

12 Kenan lived 70 years. Then he became the father of Mahalalel.

13 Kenan lived 840 years after Mahalalel was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

14 Kenan lived a total of 910 years. Then he died.

15 Mahalalel lived 65 years. Then he became the father of Jared.

16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after Jared was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

17 Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years. Then he died.

18 Jared lived 162 years. Then he became the father of Enoch.

19 Jared lived 800 years after Enoch was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

20 Jared lived a total of 962 years. Then he died.

21 Enoch lived 65 years. Then he became the father of Methuselah.

22 Enoch walked with God 300 years after Methuselah was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

23 Enoch lived a total of 365 years.

24 Enoch walked with God. Then he couldn't be found, because God took him from this life.

25 Methuselah lived 187 years. Then he became the father of Lamech.

26 Methuselah lived 782 years after Lamech was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

27 Methuselah lived a total of 969 years. Then he died.

28 Lamech lived 182 years. Then he had a son.

29 He named him Noah. Lamech said, "He will comfort us when we are working. He'll comfort us when our hands work so hard they hurt. We have to work hard. That's because the LORD has put a curse on the ground."

30 Lamech lived 595 years after Noah was born. He also had other sons and daughters.

31 Lamech lived a total of 777 years. Then he died.

32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

1 Men began to increase their numbers on the earth, and daughters were born to them.

2 The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. So they married any of them they chose.

3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not struggle with man forever. He will die. He will have only 120 years to live until I judge him."

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days. That was when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. The Nephilim were the heroes of long ago. They were famous men. Nephilim were also on the earth later on.

5 The LORD saw how bad the sins of man had become on the earth. All of the thoughts in his heart were always directed only toward what was evil.

6 The LORD was very sad that he had made man on the earth. His heart was filled with pain.

7 So the LORD said, "I created man on the earth. But I will wipe them out. I will destroy people and animals alike. I will also destroy the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air. I am very sad that I have made man."

8 But the LORD was pleased with Noah.

9 Here is the story of Noah. Noah was a godly man. He was without blame among the people of his time. He walked with God.

10 Noah had three sons. Their names were Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 The earth was very sinful in God's eyes. It was full of mean and harmful acts.

12 God saw how sinful the earth had become. All of the people on earth were leading very sinful lives.

13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people. They have filled the earth with their harmful acts. You can be sure that I am going to destroy both them and the earth.

14 "So make yourself an ark out of cypress wood. Make rooms in it. Cover it with tar inside and out.

15 Here is how I want you to build it. The ark has to be 450 feet long. It has to be 75 feet wide and 45 feet high.

16 Make a roof for it. Leave the sides of the ark open a foot and a half from the top. Put a door in one side of the ark. Make lower, middle and upper decks.

17 "I am going to bring a flood on the earth. It will destroy all life under the sky. It will destroy every living creature that breathes. Everything on earth will die.

18 "But I will make my covenant with you. You will enter the ark. Your sons and your wife and your sons' wives will enter it with you.

19 "Bring two of every living thing into the ark. Bring male and female of them into it. They will be kept alive with you.

20 Two of every kind of bird will come to you. Two of every kind of animal will come to you. And two of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you. All of them will be kept alive with you.

21 "Take every kind of food that you will need. Store it away. It will be food for you and for them."

22 Noah did everything exactly as God commanded him.

1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. This happened while Herod was king of Judea. After Jesus' birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem.

2 They asked, "Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star. Now we have come to worship him."

3 When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too.

4 So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ was going to be born.

5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied. "This is what the prophet has written. He said,

6 " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah. A ruler will come out of you. He will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' " (Micah 5:2)

7 Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared.

8 He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, "Go! Make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship him too."

9 After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was.

10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.

11 The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense and myrrh.

12 But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road.

13 When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him. "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the child. He wants to kill him."

14 Joseph got up. During the night, he left for Egypt with the child and his mother Mary.

15 They stayed there until King Herod died. So the words the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true. He had said, "I chose to bring my son out of Egypt."(Hosea 11:1)

16 Herod realized that the Wise Men had tricked him. So he became very angry. He gave orders concerning Bethlehem and the area around it. All the boys two years old and under were to be killed. This agreed with the time when the Wise Men had seen the star.

17 In this way, the words the prophet Jeremiah spoke came true. He had said,

18 "A voice is heard in Ramah. It's the sound of crying and deep sadness. Rachel is crying over her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are gone." (Jeremiah 31:15)

19 After Herod died, Joseph had a dream while he was still in Egypt. In the dream an angel of the Lord appeared to him.

20 The angel said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother. Go to the land of Israel. Those who were trying to kill the child are dead."

21 So Joseph got up. He took the child and his mother Mary back to the land of Israel.

22 But then he heard that Archelaus was king of Judea. Archelaus was ruling in place of his father Herod. This made Joseph afraid to go there. Warned in a dream, Joseph went back to the land of Galilee instead.

23 There he lived in a town called Nazareth. So what the prophets had said about Jesus came true. They had said, "He will be called a Nazarene."