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

“I don’t know,^(B)” 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.^{(C) 11} Now you are under a curse^(D) 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.^(E) You will be a restless wanderer^(F) on the earth.^(G)”

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;^(H) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,^(I) and whoever finds me will kill me.”^(J)

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

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.^{(A) 6} Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.^(B)

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^(A) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^(B)

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”^(A)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you^(B) and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,^(A) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(B) and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^{(C) 39} For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[a]”^(D)

²³ They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God,^(A) and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets^(B) he tried to persuade them about Jesus.^{(C) 24} Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.^{(D) 25} They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said^(E) through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁸ “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation^(H) has been sent to the Gentiles,^(I) and they will listen!”

Additional Teachings

¹⁶ “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John.^(A) Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached,^(B) and everyone is forcing their way into it.