Genesis 4:9-15

New American Standard Bible

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “^(A)Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ Then He said, “What have you done? ^(B)The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. ¹¹ Now ^(C)you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ^12 (D)When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; ^(E)you will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth.” ¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure! ¹⁴ Behold, You have ^(F)driven me this day from the face of the ground; and I will be hidden from Your face, and ^(G)I will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth, and ^(H)whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵ So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him ^(I)seven times as much.” And the Lord ^[a](J)placed a mark on Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him.