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Genesis 4:8-16
New King James Version
Genesis 4:8-16
New King James Version
8 Now Cain [a]talked with Abel his [b]brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and (A)killed him.
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, (B)“I do not know. Am I (C)my brother’s keeper?”
10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood (D)cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now (E)you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
13 And Cain said to the Lord, “My [c]punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; (F)I shall be (G)hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that (H)anyone who finds me will kill me.”
15 And the Lord said to him, [d]“Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him (I)sevenfold.” And the Lord set a (J)mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.
The Family of Cain
16 Then Cain (K)went out from the (L)presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of [e]Nod on the east of Eden.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 4:8 Lit. said to
- Genesis 4:8 Sam., LXX, Syr., Vg. add “Let us go out to the field.”
- Genesis 4:13 iniquity
- Genesis 4:15 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. Not so;
- Genesis 4:16 Lit. Wandering
Genesis 4:8-16
New International Version
Genesis 4:8-16
New International Version
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.(A)
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”(B)
“I don’t know,(C)” 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.(D) 11 Now you are under a curse(E) 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.(F) You will be a restless wanderer(G) on the earth.(H)”
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;(I) I will be a restless wanderer on the earth,(J) and whoever finds me will kill me.”(K)
15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so[b]; anyone who kills Cain(L) will suffer vengeance(M) seven times over.(N)” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence(O) and lived in the land of Nod,[c] east of Eden.(P)
Footnotes
- Genesis 4:8 Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Masoretic Text does not have “Let’s go out to the field.”
- Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
- Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.