Genesis 4–7 – NAB

From inside La Biblioteca, the Word of God continues with reverence and intention. 

This episode walks through Genesis 4 through 7: the murder of Abel, the rise of wickedness, the call of Noah, and the beginning of the Great Flood. 

Read from our 1982 Fireside Family Edition of the New American Bible. 

Closed with the Lord’s Prayer. 

Thank you for listening, may Christ be with you.†

Transcript

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From inside La Biblioteca, this is the Word of God. Today we will be reading from our 1982 Fireside Family Edition of the New American Bible. Genesis Chapter 4 The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, I have produced a man with the help of the Lord. Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil, while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not. Cain greatly resented this and was crestfallen. So the Lord said to Cain, Why are you so resentful and crestfallen? If you do well, you can hold your head up, but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door. His urge is towards you, yet you can become his master." Cain said to his brother Abel, Let us go out in the field. When there in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord asked Cain, Where is your brother Abel? He answered, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper? The Lord then said, What have you done? Listen, your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil. Therefore you shall be banned from the soil that opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. If you till the soil, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a restless wanderer on earth. Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is too great to bear, since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth. Anyone may kill me at sight. Not so, the Lord said to him. If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold. So the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight. Cain then left the Lord's presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. Cain also became the founder of a city, which he named after his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad became the father of Mehuel. and Mehuel became the father of Methuselah, and Methuselah became the father of Lamech. Lamech took two wives. The name of the first wife was Adah, and the name of the second, Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, the ancestor of all who dwell in tents and keep cattle. His brother's name was Jubal. He was the ancestors of all who play the lyre and the pipe. Zillah, on her part, gave birth to Tubal-Cain, and The ancestor of Ahu forged instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Namah. Lamech said to his wives, Adam again had relations with his wife, and she gave birth to a son, whom she called Seth. God had granted me more offspring in place of Abel, she said, because Cain slew him. To second turn, a son was born, and he was named Enosh. At the time, men began to invoke the Lord by name. Genesis chapter 5 This is the record of the descendants of Adam. When God created man, he made them in likeness of God. He created them male and female. When they were created, he blessed them and named them man. Adam was 130 years old when he begot a son in his likeness, after his image, and he named him Seth. Adam lived 800 years after the birth of Seth, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Adam was 930 years. Then he died. When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. Seth lived 807 years after the birth of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Seth was 912 years. Then he died. When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. Enosh lived 815 years after the birth of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Enosh was 905 years. Then he died. When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. Kenan lived 840 years after the birth of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Kenan was 910 years, then he died. When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. Mahalalel lived 830 years after the birth of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Mahalalel was 895 years, then he died. When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. Jared lived 800 years after the birth of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Jared was 962 years, then he died. When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Mesuthelah. Enoch lived 300 years after the birth of Mesuthelah, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Enoch was... Then Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took him. When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. Methuselah lived 700 and 800 years after the birth of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years, then he died. When Lamech was 182 years old, he begot a son. Genesis chapter 6. When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of heaven saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, so they took them for their wives as many as they chose. Then the Lord said, My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years. At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth. After the sons of heaven had intercourse with the daughters of man who bore them sons, they were the heroes of old, the men of renown. When the Lord saw how great the man's wickedness on earth and how no desire that his heart conceived was anything ever but evil, he regretted that he had made man on the earth and his heart was grieved. So the Lord said, These are the descendants of Noah. Noah, a good man and blameless in that age. For he has walked with God, begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In the eyes of God, the earth was corrupt and full of lawlessness. When God saw how corrupt the earth had become, since all mortals led depraved lives on earth, he said to Noah, I've decided to put an end to all mortals on earth. The earth is full of lawlessness because of them, so I will destroy them and all life on earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood, put various compartments in it, and cover it inside with pitch. This is how you shall build it. The length of the ark shall be 300 cubits, its width 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make an opening for daylight in the ark and finish the ark with a cubit above it. Put an entrance in the side of the ark, which you shall make with the bottom second and third decks. I, on my part, am about to bring a flood on earth to destroy everywhere all creatures in which there is the breath of life. Everything on earth shall perish, but with you I will establish my covenant. You and your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives shall go into the ark. Of all other living creatures, you shall bring two into the ark, one male and one female, that you may keep them alive with you. Of all kinds of birds, of all kinds of beasts, and of all kinds of creeping things, two of each shall come into the ark with you to stay alive. Moreover, you are to provide yourself with all the food that is to be eaten, and store it away, that it may serve as provisions for you and for them. This Noah did, and he carried out all the commands that God gave him. Genesis chapter 7 Then the Lord said to Noah, Go into the ark, you and all your household. For you alone in this age have I found to be truly just. Of every clean animal take you, Seven pairs, a male and its mate, and of the unclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate. Likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs, a male and a female. And of all the unclean birds, one pair, a male and a female. Thus, you will keep their issue alive over all the earth. Seven days from now, I will bring rain down on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. And so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth every moving creature that I have made. Noah did just as the Lord commanded him. Noah was 600 years when the floodwaters came upon the earth. Together with his sons, his wives, and his sons' wives, Noah went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. Of the clean animals and the unclean of the birds and everything that creeps around the ground, two by two, male and female, entered the ark with Noah just as the Lord had commanded him. As soon as the seven days were over, the waters of the flood came upon the earth. In the 600th year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the 17th day of the month, On the precise date... Named Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wives, and the three wives of Noah's son had entered the ark. Together with every kind of wild beast, every kind of domestic animal, every kind of creeping thing of the earth, and every kind of bird, pairs of all creatures in which there was a breath of life, entered the ark with Noah. Those that entered were male and female, and of all species they came. As God had commanded Noah, then the Lord shut him in. The flood continued upon the earth for 40 days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark so that it rose above the earth. The swelling waters increased greatly, but the ark floated on the surface of the waters. Higher and higher above the earth rose the waters until the highest mountains everywhere were submerged, the crest rising 15 cubits higher than the submerged mountains. All creatures that stirred on earth perished, birds, cattle, wild animals, and all that swarmed on the earth, as well as all mankind. Everything on dry land with the faintest breath of life in its nostrils dried out. The Lord wiped out every living creature on earth, man and cattle, the creeping things, and the birds of the air. All were wiped out from the earth. Only Noah and those with him in the ark were left. The waters maintained their crest over the earth. for 150 days. Thank you for listening. Let's close out with the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.