⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(A) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(B) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(C)

³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering^(A) to the Lord.^{(B) 4} And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions^(C) from some of the firstborn of his flock.^(D) The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,^{(E) 5} but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(A) from the beginning:^(B) We should love one another.^{(C) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(D) and murdered his brother.^(E) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^(F)

¹⁰ The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.^(A)

²⁴ to Jesus the mediator^(A) of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood^(B) that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.^(C)

³⁵ And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel^(A) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,^(B) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.^(C)

¹¹ Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;^(A) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;^(B) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.^(C)

²² In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,^(A) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.^(B)