Genesis 4:8-16

8One day Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘We should go out to the fields.’ While they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel. He killed Abel.

9Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel, your brother?’ Cain replied, ‘I do not know where he is. Must I always keep my brother safe?’

10Then the Lord God said, ‘Why have you done this bad thing? Now your brother's blood is lying there on the ground. That is like his voice which is shouting to me for help.

11The ground received your brother's blood when you killed him. As a result, the ground no longer accepts you. It has brought a curse on you.

12When you work hard to dig the ground, no plants will grow in it for your food. You will travel from place to place. You will not have your own home.’

13Cain said to the Lord, ‘That punishment is too much! It will give me too much pain.

14Now you are making me leave my home here on the land. I will be far away from where you are. I will be a traveller without a home. If someone sees me, they will kill me.’

15But the Lord said to Cain, ‘No! If anyone kills Cain, I will punish that person seven times more than I have punished you.’ Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain. This was to tell other people that they must not kill Cain.

16Cain went away from the Lord. He went to live in the land called Nod, which is east of Eden.