Cain Kills Abel — the First Murder

4:1-16

4 Then Adam had marital relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son they named Cain, which means “obtained.” They named him that because she said, “Yahweh has enabled me to obtain a son!” 2 Then Eve also gave birth to Cain’s brother whom they named Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a crop farmer. 3 As time went by, one day Cain gave some of the crops that he had grown in his fields to Yahweh as a gift to honor him. 4 Abel also gave a gift to Yahweh, but what he gave was some of the firstborn animals from his flocks, including some of their best parts. Yahweh was pleased with Abel and his gift. 5 However, he was not pleased with Cain or his gift. So Cain became extremely angry, and he frowned. 6 Then Yahweh asked him, “Why are you so angry? And why are you frowning? 7 If you do what is right, I will accept you and your offering. But if you do not do what is right, then sin is like a fierce animal that is waiting outside your door to attack you. It wants to control you, but you must control it so that you do not sin.”

8 But after that, Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field to work together.” So they went out to the field, and while they were there, Cain attacked his brother and murdered him.

9 Later Yahweh asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain responded, “I don’t know where he is. Is it my job to take care of my brother?” 10 Then Yahweh said to him, “You have done a terrible thing! I see your brother’s blood on the ground, and I must punish you for killing him! 11 So from now on I am cursing you so that you will not be able to grow food from the ground, which is where your brother’s blood spilled out when you murdered him. 12 Whenever you try to farm the ground, it will no longer produce good crops for you. From now on, you will be an outcast who wanders around on the earth without a permanent home.”

13 Cain replied to Yahweh, “You are punishing me more severely than I can endure. 14 Look, you have now banished me from farming the ground, and I will be far away from you. I will be a homeless fugitive on the earth, so that whoever sees me will kill me!” 15 Yahweh replied to him, “So then, I will warn everyone that I will take vengeance on whoever kills you and punish him seven times more severely than I am punishing you!” Then he put a mark on Cain to warn everyone who met him not to kill him. 16 Then Cain left Yahweh’s presence and lived in the region of Nod, which means “wandering,” which was east of the region of Eden.