King James Bible
"And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech."
This begins the genealogy of Cain's line, with Enoch (Cain's son) fathering Irad. The genealogy demonstrates how civilization continued to develop through Cain's descendants despite his exile, showing God's preservation of human life even after the first murder. These middle generations bridge the gap between Cain and Lamech, with names that possibly mean 'smitten by God' (Mehujael) and 'man of God' (Methusael). The rapid succession emphasizes the passage of time and population growth in the pre-flood world. This introduces Lamech, who becomes significant as the first polygamist and a boastful killer in subsequent verses. The genealogy culminates with him to set up the contrast between increasing wickedness in Cain's line versus Seth's godly line that follows.