Genesis 4:4-16

⁴Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. The LORD respected Abel and his offering,

⁵but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

⁶The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

⁷If you do well, won’t it be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”

⁸Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

⁹The LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰The LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.

¹¹Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

¹²From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”

¹³Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

¹⁴Behold, you have driven me out today from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. Whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵The LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” The LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.

¹⁶Cain left the LORD’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.