4The man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.”^A ²She also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. ³In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord.^m ⁴And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.ⁿ The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,^o ⁵but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.

⁶Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious?^p And why do you look despondent? ⁷If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”^q

⁸Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”^B And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^r

⁹Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

¹⁰Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!^s ¹¹So now you are cursed, alienated from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed.^C ¹²If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”^t

Read in Logos

Genesis 4:9: Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

Footnotes

A the Lord
B, , , ; omits “Let’s go out to the field.”
C blood from your hand

Cross references

m Ex 23:19; 34:26; Neh 10:35
n Ex 13:12; Nm 18:17; Pr 3:9
o Heb 11:4
p Jnh 4:4
q Gn 3:16
r Mt 23:35; Lk 11:51; 1Jn 3:12–15; Jd 11
s Nm 35:33; Dt 21:1–9; Heb 12:24; Rv 6:9–10
t Dt 28:16–18; Is 26:21