And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I
have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And
Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in
process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the
ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the
firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect
unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had
not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the
Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance
fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest
not well, sin lieth at the door, and unto thee shall be his desire, and
thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it
came to pass,--when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against
Abel his brother, and slew him.
And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I
know not Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the
voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art
thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy
brother's blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not
henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt
thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is
greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from
the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a
fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that
every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him,
Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him
sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should
kill him.
And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of
Nod, on the east of Eden.--Genesis iv, 1-16