Cain And His Brother Abel
Adam named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living
beings. She had two sons, Cain and Abel. Abel was a shepherd, but Cain
was a farmer.
One day Cain brought, as an offering to Jehovah, some fruit and grain
that he had grown. Abel, too, brought some of the best animals of his
flock and sacrificed their fat pieces to Jehovah. Jehovah was pleased
with Abel and his offering, but Cain and his of
ering did not please
him.
This made Cain very angry and his face showed it. So Jehovah said to
Cain, "Why are you angry and why do you scowl? If you do what is right
and good, will not your offering be accepted? But if you do wrong, sin
crouches like a wild beast at the door and the desire to sin will
overcome you; but you should master it."
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go into the field." And while
they were in the field, Cain struck his brother Abel and killed him.
When Jehovah said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain answered,
"I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" Jehovah said, "What have you
done? Hark! your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. Even
now you are condemned by the very ground that has opened to receive your
brother's blood from your hand. Whenever you till the ground, it shall
no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a tramp and a wanderer
on the earth."
Then Cain said to Jehovah, "My punishment is more than I can bear. See,
thou hast driven me out to-day from this land, and I shall no longer be
able to worship thee; I shall become a tramp and a wanderer on the
earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
But Jehovah said to him, "If any one kills you, he shall be punished
sevenfold." So Jehovah placed a mark on Cain, to keep any one who found
him from killing him. And Cain went out from Jehovah's presence and
lived as a wanderer, away from Eden.