Adam named his wife Eve, because
she was the mother of all living beings. She had two sons, Cain and
Abel. Abel was a shepherd, but Cain was a farmer.
One day Cain brought, as an offering to God, some fruit and
grain that he had grown. Abel, too, brought some of the best animals
of his flock and sacrificed their fat pieces to God. God was
pleased with Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering did
not please him.
This made Cain very angry and his face showed it. So God said to
Cain, "Why are you angry and why do you scowl? If you do what is
right and good, will not your offering be accepted? But if you do
wrong, sin crouches like a wild beast at the door and the desire to
sin will overcome you; but you should master it."
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go into the field." And while
they were in the field, Cain struck his brother Abel and killed him.
When God said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain
answered, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" God said,
"What have you done? Hark! your brother's blood is crying to me from
the ground. Even now you are condemned by the very ground that has
opened to receive your brother's blood from your hand. Whenever you
till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you
shall be a tramp and a wanderer on the earth."
Then Cain said to God, "My punishment is more than I can bear.
See, thou hast driven me out to-day from this land, and I shall no
longer be able to worship thee; I shall become a tramp and a
wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
But God said to him, "If any one kills you, he shall be punished
sevenfold." So God placed a mark on Cain, to keep any one who
found him from killing him. And Cain went out from God's
presence and lived as a wanderer, away from Eden.