First Book of Adam and Eve Part 22

12 And he did not remain in the field, but he went to Eve, his mother, and beat her, and cursed her, and said to her, "Why are you planning to take my sister to wed her to my brother? Am I dead?"

13 His mother, however, quieted him, and sent him to the field where he had been.

14 Then when Adam came, she told him of what Cain had done.

15 But Adam grieved and held his peace, and said not a word.

16 Then on the next morning Adam said to Cain his son, "Take of your sheep, young and good, and offer them up to your G.o.d; and I will speak to your brother, to make to his G.o.d an offering of corn."

17 They both obeyed their father Adam, and they took their offerings, and offered them up on the mountain by the altar.

18 But Cain behaved haughtily towards his brother, and shoved him from the altar, and would not let him offer up his gift on the altar; but he offered his own on it, with a proud heart, full of guile, and fraud.

19 But as for Abel, he set up stones that were near at hand, and on that, he offered up his gift with a heart humble and free from guile.

20 Cain was then standing by the altar on which he had offered up his gift; and he cried to G.o.d to accept his offering; but G.o.d did not accept it from him; neither did a divine fire come down to consume his offering.

21 But he remained standing over against the altar, out of humor and meanness, looking towards his brother Abel, to see if G.o.d would accept his offering or not.

22 And Abel prayed to G.o.d to accept his offering. Then a divine fire came down and consumed his offering. And G.o.d smelled the sweet savor of his offering; because Abel loved Him and rejoice in Him.

23 And because G.o.d was well pleased with him, He sent him an angel of light in the figure of a man who had partaken of his offering, because He had smelled the sweet savor of his offering, and they comforted Abel and strengthened his heart.

24 But Cain was looking on all that took place at his brother's offering, and was angry because of it.

25 Then he opened his mouth and blasphemed G.o.d, because He had not accepted his offering.

26 But G.o.d said to cain, "Why do you look sad? Be righteous, that I may accept your offering. Not against Me have you murmured, but against yourself.

27 And G.o.d said this to Cain in rebuke, and because He abhorred him and his offering.

28 And Cain came down from the altar, his color changed and with a sad face, and came to his father and mother and told them all that had befallen him. And Adam grieved much because G.o.d had not accepted Cain's offering.

29 But Abel came down rejoicing, and with a gladsome heart, and told his father and mother how G.o.d had accepted his offering. And they rejoiced at it and kissed his face.

30 And Abel said to his father, "Because Cain shoved me from the altar, and would not allow me to offer my gift on it, I made an altar for myself and offered my gift on it."

31 But when Adam heard this he was very sorry, because it was the altar he had built at first, and on which he had offered his own gifts.

32 As to Cain, he was so resentful and so angry that he went into the field, where Satan came to him and said to him, "Since your brother Abel has taken refuge with your father Adam, because you shoved him from the altar, they have kissed his face, and they rejoice over him, far more than over you."

33 When Cain heard these words of Satan, he was filled with rage; and he let no one know. But he was laying wait to kill his brother, until he brought him into the cave, and then said to him:--

34 "O brother, the country is so beautiful, and there are such beautiful and pleasurable trees in it, and charming to look at! But brother, you have never been one day in the field to take your pleasure in that place.

35 Today, O, my brother, I very much wish you would come with me into the field, to enjoy yourself and to bless our fields and our flocks, for you are righteous, and I love you much, O my brother! But you have alienated yourself from me."

36 Then Abel consented to go with his brother Cain into the field.

37 But before going out, Cain said to Abel, "Wait for me, until I fetch a staff, because of wild beasts."

38 Then Abel stood waiting in his innocence. But Cain, the forward, fetched a staff and went out.

39 And they began, Cain and his brother Abel, to walk in the way; Cain talking to him, and comforting him, to make him forget everything.

Chapter LXXIX - A wicked plan is carried to a tragic conclusion. Cain is frightened. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The seven punishments.

Peace is shattered.

1 And so they went on, until they came to a lonely place, where there were no sheep; then Abel said to Cain, "Behold, my brother, we are tired from walking; for we see none of the trees, nor of the fruits, nor of the flouris.h.i.+ng green plants, nor of the sheep, nor any one of the things of which you told me. Where are those sheep of thine you told me to bless?"

2 Then Cain said to him, "Come on, and you shall see many beautiful things very soon, but go before me, until I catch up to you."

3 Then went Abel forward, but Cain remained behind him.

4 And Abel was walking in his innocence, without guile; not believing his brother would kill him.

5 Then Cain, when he came up to him, comforted him with his talk, walking a little behind him; then he ran up to him and beat him with the staff, blow after blow, until he was stunned.

6 But when Abel fell down on the ground, seeing that his brother meant to kill him, he said to Cain, "O, my brother, have pity on me. By the b.r.e.a.s.t.s we have sucked, don't hit me! By the womb that bore us and that brought us into the world, don't beat me to death with that staff!

If you will kill me, take one of these large stones and kill me outright."

7 Then Cain, the hard-hearted, and cruel murderer, took a large stone, and beat his brother's head with it, until his brains oozed out, and he wallowed in his blood, before him.

8 And Cain repented not of what he had done.

9 But the earth, when the blood of righteous Abel fell on it, trembled, as it drank his blood, and would have destroyed Cain because of it.

10 And the blood of Abel cried mysteriously to G.o.d, to avenge him of his murderer.

11 Then Cain began at once to dig the ground wherein to lay his brother; for he was trembling from the fear that came over him, when he saw the earth tremble on his account.

12 He then cast his brother into the pit he made, and covered him with dust. But the ground would not receive him; but it threw him up at once.

13 Again Cain dug the ground and hid his brother in it; but again the ground threw him up on itself; until three times the ground thus threw up on itself the body of Abel.

14 The muddy ground threw him up the first time, because he was not the first creation; and it threw him up the second time and would not receive him, because he was righteous and good, and was killed without a cause; and the ground threw him up the third time and would not receive him, that there might remain before his brother a witness against him.

15 And so the earth mocked Cain, until the Word of G.o.d, came to him concerning his brother.

16 Then was G.o.d angry, and much displeased at Abel's death; and He thundered from heaven, and lightnings went before Him, and the Word of the Lord G.o.d came from heaven to Cain, and said to him, "Where is Abel your brother?"

17 Then Cain answered with a proud heart and a gruff voice, "How, O G.o.d? Am I my brother's keeper?"

18 Then G.o.d said to Cain, "Cursed be the earth that has drunk the blood of Abel your brother; and as for you, you will always be trembling and shaking; and this will be a mark on you so that whoever finds you, will kill you."

19 But Cain cried because G.o.d had said those words to him; and Cain said to Him, "O G.o.d, whosoever finds me shall kill me, and I shall be blotted out from the face of the earth."