Genesis 4:1–17

Cain and Abel

¹Now the man ¹knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and ²gave birth to ³Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a ⁴man with the help of Yahweh.”

²And again, she ¹gave birth to his brother Abel. ^aAbel was ^ba keeper of flocks, but Cain was a cultivator of the ground.

³So it happened ¹in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh of the fruit of the ground.

^4aAbel, on his part, also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And ^bYahweh had regard for Abel and for his offering;

⁵but ^afor Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So ^bCain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

⁶Then Yahweh said to Cain, “^aWhy are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

⁷“^aIf you do well, ¹will not your countenance be lifted up? ^bAnd if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door; and its desire is for you, ^cbut you must rule over it.”

⁸Then Cain ¹spoke to Abel his brother; and it happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and ^akilled him.

⁹Then Yahweh said to Cain, “^aWhere is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰And He said, “What have you done? ^aThe voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground.

¹¹“And now, ^acursed are you from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹²“^aWhen you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; ^byou will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³And Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is too great to bear!

¹⁴“Behold, You have ^adriven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and ^bI will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and it will be that ^cwhoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵So Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him ^asevenfold.” And Yahweh ^1bappointed a sign for Cain, so that no one who found him would strike him.

¹⁶Then Cain went out from the presence ^aof Yahweh and ¹settled in the land of ²Nod, east of Eden.

¹⁷Then Cain ¹knew his wife, and she conceived and ²gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son.