Cain Murders Abel

4 Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten the man that the Lord promised.” ² Then she gave birth to another child, Abel, Cain’s brother. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer.

³ Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to the Lord. ⁴ Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. The Lord approved of Abel and his offering, ⁵ but he didn’t approve of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed. ⁶ Then the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed? ⁷ If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it.”

⁸ Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹ The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”

¹⁰ The Lord asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. ¹¹ So now you are cursed from the ground, which has received the blood of your brother whom you killed. ¹² When you farm the ground, it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³ But Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can stand! ¹⁴ You have forced me off this land today. I have to hide from you and become a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth. Now anyone who finds me will kill me!”

¹⁵ So the Lord said to him, “Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” The Lord gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him.

¹⁶ Then Cain left the Lord’s presence and lived in Nod [The Land of Wandering], east of Eden.

¹³ Who will harm you if you are devoted to doing what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you suffer for doing what God approves, you are blessed. Don’t be afraid of those who want to harm you. Don’t get upset. ¹⁵ But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence ⌞in God⌟ when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. ¹⁶ Keep your conscience clear. Then those who treat the good Christian life you live with contempt will feel ashamed that they have ridiculed you. ¹⁷ After all, if it is God’s will, it’s better to suffer for doing good than for doing wrong.

¹⁸ This is true because Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death, but he was brought to life through his spirit.

²³ Jesus replied to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ I can guarantee this truth: A single grain of wheat doesn’t produce anything unless it is planted in the ground and dies. If it dies, it will produce a lot of grain. ²⁵ Those who love their lives will destroy them, and those who hate their lives in this world will guard them for everlasting life. ²⁶ Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them.

²⁷ “I am too deeply troubled now to know how to express my feelings. Should I say, ‘Father, save me from this time ⌞of suffering⌟’? No! I came for this time of suffering. ²⁸ Father, give glory to your name.”

A voice from heaven said, “I have given it glory, and I will give it glory again.”

²⁹ The crowd standing there heard the voice and said that it had thundered. Others in the crowd said that an angel had talked to him. ³⁰ Jesus replied, “That voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours.

³¹ “This world is being judged now. The ruler of this world will be thrown out now. ³² When I have been lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people toward me.” ³³ By saying this, he indicated how he was going to die.