Genesis 4:8–18

^8*Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out in the fields.”^v When they were out in the fields, Cain turned on his brother and killed him.

⁹The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

He answered, “I don’t know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”

^10*Then the Lord said, “Why have you done this terrible thing? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground, like a voice calling for revenge. ¹¹You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil. It has soaked up your brother’s blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him. ¹²If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything; you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

¹³And Cain said to the Lord, “This punishment is too hard for me to bear. ¹⁴You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵But the Lord answered, “No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge.” So the Lord put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. ¹⁶And Cain went away from the Lord’s presence and lived in a land called “Wandering”, which is east of Eden.

The Descendants

¹⁷Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son. ¹⁸Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech.