Cain and Abel

Eve gave birth to Cain, and later to his brother Abel. Abel cared for sheep, and Cain worked the ground. After some time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. Abel also brought an offering from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat portions.

The Lord accepted Abel and his offering, but he did not accept Cain and his offering. Cain became very angry, and his face fell. The Lord spoke to Cain about his anger and warned him that sin was crouching at the door. Cain needed to master it instead of letting it rule him.

Cain spoke to Abel, and they went into the field. There Cain rose up against his brother and killed him. When the Lord asked, "Where is Abel, your brother?" Cain said he did not know, and asked whether he was his brother's keeper.

Then the Lord said that Abel's blood was crying out from the ground. Because Cain had done this, he was cursed because of the ground that had received his brother's blood. From then on, when Cain worked the ground, it would not yield its strength to him. He would be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.

Cain said that his punishment was more than he could bear. He feared that as a wanderer someone would kill him. The Lord said that anyone who killed Cain would face vengeance sevenfold, and he appointed a sign for Cain so that no one who found him would strike him. Then Cain went away from the Lord's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.