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Genesis 4:9-16
Contemporary English Version
Genesis 4:9-16
Contemporary English Version
9 Afterwards the Lord asked Cain, “Where is Abel?”
“How should I know?” he answered. “Am I supposed to look after my brother?”
10 (A) Then the Lord said:
Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you. 11 And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm it again. 12 When you try to farm the land, it won't produce anything for you. From now on, you'll be without a home, and you'll spend the rest of your life wandering from place to place.
13 “This punishment is too hard!” Cain said. 14 “You're making me leave my home and live far from you.[a] I will have to wander about without a home, and just anyone could kill me.”
15 “No!”[b] the Lord answered. “Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you.” So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him. 16 But Cain had to go far from the Lord and live in the Land of Wandering,[c] which is east of Eden.
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Genesis 4:9-16
New International Version
Genesis 4:9-16
New International Version
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. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence(N) and lived in the land of Nod,[b] east of Eden.(O)
Footnotes
- Genesis 4:15 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew Very well
- Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering (see verses 12 and 14).
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