Cain Murders Abel

4 The man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.”^{[a] 2} She also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. ³ In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord.^{(A) 4} And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.^(B) The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,^{(C) 5} but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious?^(D) And why do you look despondent? ⁷ If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”^(E)

⁸ Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^[b] And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^(F)

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

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

¹⁰ Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!^{(G) 11} So now you are cursed, alienated from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed.^{[c] 12} If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”^(H)

¹³ But Cain answered the Lord, “My punishment^[d] is too great to bear! ¹⁴ Since you are banishing me today from the face of the earth, and I must hide from your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.”^(I)

¹⁵ Then the Lord replied to him, “In that case,^[e] whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And he placed a mark^(J) on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. ¹⁶ Then Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,^[f] east of Eden.