"Cain and Able"
Now the man had relations with
his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said,
"I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD."
And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
So it
came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the
LORD of the fruit of the ground.
And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;
but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
"If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is
Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's
keeper?"
And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.
"And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
"When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you; you shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth."
And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear!
"Behold, Thou hast driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Thy face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will come about that whoever finds me will kill me."
So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, lest anyone finding him should slay him.
Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
And Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;
but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
"If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it."
And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.
"And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
"When you cultivate the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you; you shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth."
And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear!
"Behold, Thou hast driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Thy face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will come about that whoever finds me will kill me."
So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, lest anyone finding him should slay him.
Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.