³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering^(A) to the Lord.^{(B) 4} And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions^(C) from some of the firstborn of his flock.^(D) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,^{(E) 5} but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?^(F) Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;^(G) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.^(H)”

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^[a] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^(I)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”^(J)

“I don’t know,^(K)” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.^{(L) 11} Now you are under a curse^(M) and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ¹² When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.^(N) You will be a restless wanderer^(O) on the earth.^(P)”

¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. ¹⁴ Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence;^(Q) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,^(R) and whoever finds me will kill me.”^(S)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Not so^[b]; anyone who kills Cain^(T) will suffer vengeance^(U) seven times over.^(V)” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(A) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(B) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(C)

¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(A) and murdered his brother.^(B) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^(C)

¹¹ Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;^(A) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;^(B) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.^(C)