King James Bible
"If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold."
Lamech references God's promise to protect Cain from vengeance after he murdered Abel, where any harm to Cain would be repaid seven times over. This divine decree established a principle of limited retaliation and protection even for the guilty. Lamech boastfully claims exponentially greater vengeance for himself—not from God but by his own declaration. This represents humanity's escalating violence and pride, as Lamech takes divine prerogatives into his own hands, perverting God's protective justice into personal vindictiveness.