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And the Earthling knew Chavah (Eve), his woman, and she conceived and she brought forth Qayin and she said, “I have acquired (qaniytiy) a man with YHWH.”  In addition she brought forth his brother, Havel.  Hevel was a shepherd of sheep, and Qayin was a servant, a worker, of the earthen soil.

It was at the end of many days and Qayin brought from the fruit of the earthen soil a gift offering to YHWH.  And Hevel, he also brought the firstborn from his flock as well as the fattest.  YHWH noticed Hevel and his gift offering, but he did not notice Qayin and his gift.  Qayin was very hot with anger and his face fell.  And YHWH said to Qayin, “Why do you burn with anger?  And why does your face fall?  If you do good you will be lifted up?  But if you do not do what is good sin lies down at the door...and its desire is towards you, but you shall rule it.

“I have acquired (qaniytiy) a man with YHWH.”  - This is a difficult phrase in Hebrew:  ‏קניתי אישׁ את־יהוה   First of all, qnyty (קניתי) literally means "I purchased/bought", but is traditionally rendered metaphorically as simply "acquired".  The other issue is that at first glance it looks like YHWH is the object of the verb. ʾEt (את) in Hebrew is the definite direct object marker, but it is also the word "with".  It doesn't make much sense to make YHWH the object of "I bought/acquired" in this case, rendering the sentence "I bought/acquired a man [and] YHWH".  So, the final translation is "I bought/acquired a man with YHWH."  The remaining difficulties are 1) why use the verb for purchasing and 2) what does "with" YHWH mean.

 Hevel - The root for Hevel (הבל) literally means "vapor, breath" and is the same root used in Ecclesiastes for the passage "Emptiness, emptiness, everything is emptiness . . . "  Most likely the implication is how Hevel (Abel) is remembered, as one whose place became empty after his murder by Qayin (Cain).  Poignantly, one of Eve's first two sons is merely an empty place and the other is banished for murder.  Eve is already experiencing the pains of bringing forth children that YHWH Elohim declared in Genesis 3.

 Qayin was a servant, a worker, of the earthen soil. -  Interestingly, it is Qayin who is operating under the purposes that God gave to Adam in the Garden in Genesis 2:  He is a servant/worker of the adamah.

It was at the end of many days -  Literally, "It was at the end of days."

 YHWH noticed Hevel . . . he did not notice Qayin -Literally, "YHWH looked to Hevel . . . He did not look to Qayin."

sin lies down at the door - Literally, "To the door sin lies down."  "Lurks" may be a better translation of the verbrḇṣ (רבץ) than "lies down", although "lies down" is the more basic meaning.  The Hebrew word for "sin" is ḥṭ’ṯ (חטאת) based upon "missing the mark" or "do wrong to another".

its desire is towards you, but you shall rule it -  Reminiscent of the end of the curse for Eve regarding her husband, "you shall desire him but he shall rule over you", where the same verbs are used.

Qayin spoke to Hevel, his brother, and while they were in the field, Qayin rose up to Hevel his brother and killed him. - This sentence has been "repaired" in the English to provide a smoother reading.  This is apparently a place of textual corruption in the Masoretic Text.  The literally the text reads:  "And said Qayin to Hevel his brother.  And when they were in the field . . . "  The Masoretic Text, as well as the Aramaic and Qumran texts, seem to be missing a line in which Qayin says something to Hevel.  The Greek text of the Septuagint fills this in with "Let us go out into the plain".  It may be that the original text contained the line where Qayin says to his brother, "Let's go out to the field" prior to the murder, and this was included in the Greek text but later lost.

Where is Hevel, your brother? -  Again YHWH begins to deal with sin by initially asking questions rather than speaking judgement.

my brother’s guard - In the Hebrew hšmr (השמר), "keeper".

The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the earthen soil . . .  which opened its mouth to take the blood of your brother from your hand - A powerful visual image of blood dripping from Qayin's hand and falling to the soil.  I wish someone would do a "300" type movie of Genesis . . . 

You are cursed now in regard to the earthen soil . . . When you shall work the earthen soil it will not add, giving her strength to you - Literally, "Now cursed you are from the earthen soil."  This could also possibly be rendered, like the curse on the serpent compared to other animals, "Cursed are you more than the earthen soil." However, the literal meaning and the context (Hevel's blood cries from the earthen soil, the punishment of the land not bearing fruit) lend itself to the earthen soil and Qayin's (the farmer) ensuing empty labor with it.

Note that the earth soil, as in many other cultures, is feminine. This has implications for the feminine terms/thoughts we use for land and farming that we no longer notice in our modern world:  land is "barren", it recieves seed, it "brings forth", etc.

 wanderer and a fugitive . . . the Land of the Wanderer - Qayin becomes a "na vnad" (נע ונד).  The two terms are closely related, and both imply a roaming and wandering.  The land that he is banished to is traditionally rendered in English translations by its name "Nod", however, I think it is more fitting to call in by its translated name since this has tie-in to the curse of Qayin.  I could also used "the Land of the Fugitive", which upon thinking about it would have been more true to my previous translation of "nod".

Lamekh took to himself two women.  The name of the first was Adah and the name of the second was Zillah.  Adah brought forth Yaval.  He was the father of those dwelling in tents and  with livestock.  And the name of his brother was Juval.  He was the father of all who take hold of the oud and flute.  And Zillah, she also brought forth Tuval Qayin, sharpening all tools of bronze and iron.  The sister of Tuval Qayin was Naamah.

And Lamekh said to his women,
     “Adah and Zillah! 
          Listen to my voice! 
      Women of Lamekh,
          hear my word! 
      For a man I have killed for wounding me,
          a young man for striking me. 
     Because sevenfold avenged is Qayin,
          Lamekh seventy-seven times!"

And Adam knew again his woman, and she brought forth a son.  And she called his name Shet, for “Elohim has given (shat)  to me another seed instead of Hevel for Qayin killed him.”  And to Shet also was brought forth a son, and he called his name Enosh. 

Then to call in the name of YHWH began.

Lamekh took to himself two women. - 

Adah brought forth Yaval.  He was the father of those dwelling in tents and  with livestock. He was the father of all who take hold of the oud and flute.  And Zillah, she also brought forth Tuval Qayin, sharpening all tools of bronze and iron. - 

The sister of Tuval Qayin was Naamah. -An interesting example of the rare mentions of women in genealogical accounts in the Bible (and the male dominated ANE).  No context is given for Naamah's mention.  It might be assumed that the initial audience of the text was expected to know her story.

And Lamekh said to his women . . .  - Lamekh's poetic declaration of his actions and his appeal to God for mercy is a great example of the parallelism that occurs in Hebrew texts.  Essentially, ideas/terms are "rhymed" rather than the sounds of words and phrases, sometimes corresponding and sometimes contrasting.  In this case the terms are corresponding:  Adah and Zillah/Women of Lamekh, Listen to my voice/hear my word, a man/a young man, wounding/striking.  The parallels lead up to the climax of a contrast:  sevenfold/seventy-seven times, which give it effect. 

The Aramaic Targum of this text has an interesting modification:  "And Lamech said to his wives, 'Ada and Zilla, hear my voice. Wives of Lamech, listen to my word. I did not kill a man, for whose sake I am suffering sins, and also I did not wound a young boy, on account of which my seed should be destroyed. For seven generations judgment was suspended for Cain. Indeed for Lamech his son, seventy seven.'"  Note that in this text, Lamekh complains that he did not murder someone, yet feels in danger of suffering unjustly for doing so.  The text also provides an understanding for sevenfold/seventy-times in a generational context.

for “Elohim has given (shat)  to me another seed instead of Hevel for Qayin killed him -  The emptiness of Hevel is soothed by a gift.  Also of note, instead of Qayin ("purchased/acquired"), Shet is "given".

Enosh - Enosh means "man/human being". 

Then to call in the name of YHWH began -  Difficult and interesting passage in Hebrew:  ‏אז הוחל לקרא בשׁם יהוה  The Hebrew verb הוחל can mean "to profane" or "to begin".  In most English translations this is rendered "[People] began to call upon the name of YHWH", rather than "then profaned to call in the name of YHWH".  The LXX renders this phrase "he [Enosh or Shet] hoped to call on the name of the Lord God" (οὗτος ἤλπισεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ).  The Aramaic Targum Onkelos chooses the "profane" option:  "Then in his days mankind was too defiled to pray in the name of the Lord" (‏בכין ביומוהי חלו בני אנשׁא מלצלאה בשׁמא דיו).

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