NIV
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch.
28 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
Genesis 4:17 — Compare Translations
Read this verse in 6 Bible translations — from word-for-word to thought-for-thought.
Dynamic equivalence
KJV
King James Version · 1611
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. <sup>Enoch: Heb. Chanoch</sup>
33 words · Formal / word-for-word
ESV
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
29 words · Essentially literal
NLT
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Then Cain founded a city, which he named Enoch, after his son.
28 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
MSG
The Message · 2002
Cain slept with his wife. She conceived and had Enoch. He then built a city and named it after his son, Enoch.
22 words · Contemporary paraphrase
NASB
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
Cain had relations with his wife and she conceived, and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city, and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son.
33 words · Most literal English translation
Translation Length Comparison
NIV
28 words
KJV
33 words
ESV
29 words
NLT
28 words
MSG
22 words
NASB
33 words
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Bible translations are there for Genesis 4:17?
Bible Verse Randomizer offers Genesis 4:17 in 6 translations: New International Version, King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, The Message, New American Standard Bible. Each uses a different translation philosophy — from word-for-word (KJV, ESV, NASB) to thought-for-thought (NIV, NLT) to paraphrase (MSG).
Which translation of Genesis 4:17 is best?
No single translation is "best" — it depends on your purpose. For deep study, use the ESV or NASB (word-for-word). For devotional reading, the NIV balances accuracy and readability. The NLT and MSG are excellent for understanding the general meaning in modern English. Comparing multiple translations helps grasp the full richness of the text.
What is the difference between literal and dynamic Bible translations?
Literal (formal equivalence) translations like KJV, ESV, and NASB translate word-for-word from the original Hebrew/Greek. Dynamic equivalence translations like NIV and NLT translate thought-for-thought for clarity. The MSG is a paraphrase that captures the spirit in contemporary language. Each approach has strengths — that's why comparing translations is valuable.