³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”^(A)

²³ So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden^(A) to work the ground^(B) from which he had been taken.

² Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.^(A)

Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.^{(B) 3} In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering^(C) to the Lord.^{(D) 4} And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions^(E) from some of the firstborn of his flock.^(F) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,^{(G) 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?^(H) 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;^(I) it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.^(J)”

⁷ Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away^(A) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return^(B) to me, and I will return to you,”^(C) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,^(D) ‘How are we to return?’

⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob^(E) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes^(F) and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse^(G)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe^(H) into the storehouse,^(I) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates^(J) of heaven and pour out^(K) so much blessing^(L) that there will not be room enough to store it.^(M)