Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Cry of Distress and Imprecation on Adversaries.

For the choir director; according to ^[a]Shoshannim. A Psalm of David.

Cain and Abel

4 Now the man ^[a]had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to ^[b]Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a ^[c]manchild with the help of the Lord.” ² Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And ^(A)Abel was ^(B)a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ³ So it came about ^[d]in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. ^4 (C)Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And ^(D)the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; ⁵ but ^(E)for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So ^(F)Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. ⁶ Then the Lord said to Cain, “^(G)Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ^7 (H)If you do well, ^[e]will not your countenance be lifted up? ^(I)And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, ^(J)but you must master it.” ⁸ Cain ^[f]told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and ^(K)killed him.

⁹ Then the Lord said to Cain, “^(L)Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” ¹⁰ He said, “What have you done? ^(M)The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. ¹¹ Now ^(N)you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. ^12 (O)When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; ^(P)you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” ¹³ Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! ¹⁴ Behold, You have ^(Q)driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and ^(R)I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and ^(S)whoever finds me will kill me.” ¹⁵ So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him ^(T)sevenfold.” And the Lord ^[g](U)appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

¹⁶ Then Cain went out from the presence ^(V)of the Lord, and ^[h]settled in the land of ^[i]Nod, east of Eden.

The Impartiality of God

2 Therefore you have ^(A)no excuse, ^[a](B)everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which ^(C)you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² And we know that the judgment of God ^[b]rightly falls upon those who practice such things. ³ But do you suppose this, ^(D)O man, ^[c]when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you think lightly of ^(E)the riches of His ^(F)kindness and ^(G)tolerance and ^(H)patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? ⁵ But ^[d]because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart ^(I)you are storing up wrath for yourself ^(J)in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ^6 (K)who will render to each person according to his deeds: ⁷ to those who by ^(L)perseverance in doing good seek for ^(M)glory and honor and ^(N)immortality, ^(O)eternal life; ⁸ but to those who are ^(P)selfishly ambitious and ^(Q)do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. ⁹ There will be ^(R)tribulation and distress ^[e]for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew ^(S)first and also of the Greek, ¹⁰ but ^(T)glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew ^(U)first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For ^(V)there is no partiality with God.