Editing Cain and Abel (section)

==Genesis narrative==
[[File:Cain leadeth abel to death tissot.jpg|thumb|''Cain leadeth Abel to death'', by [[James Tissot]], {{circa|1900}}]]

The story of [[Cain]]'s murder of Abel and its consequences is told in Genesis 4:1–18:<ref>[[Robert Alter|Alter, Robert]], trans. 2008. "Genesis 4." In ''The Five Books of Moses''. p. 29.</ref>

{{blockquote|Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have produced a man with the help of the Lord."<ref group="lower-roman">4:1 – The Hebrew verb "knew" implies intimate or sexual knowledge, along with possession. The name "Cain", which means "smith", resembles the verb translated as "gotten" but also possibly meaning "to make". (Alter 2008:29).</ref> Next she bore his brother Abel.<ref group="lower-roman">4:2 – Abel's name could be associated with "vapor" or "puff of air". (Alter 2008:29).</ref> Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.  In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, 
{{Poem quote|text="Why are you angry, 
and why has your countenance fallen?  
If you do well, 
will you not be accepted? 
And if you do not do well, 
sin is lurking at the door; 
its desire is for you, 
but you must master it."|char=|sign=|title=|source=}}

Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out to the field."<ref group="lower-roman">4:8 – "Let us go out to the field" does not appear in the [[Masoretic Text]], but is found in other versions including the Septuagint and [[Samaritan Pentateuch]].</ref>  And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.

Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?"<ref group="lower-roman">4:9 – the phrase traditionally translated "am I my brother's keeper?" is Hebrew {{transliteration|hbo|"Hă-šōmêr 'āḥî 'ānōḵî?"}}. "Keeper" is from the verb {{transliteration|hbo|shamar}} ({{lang|hbo|שמר}}), 'guard, keep, watch, preserve.'</ref> And the Lord said, "What have you done? Listen; your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground! And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.<ref group="lower-roman">4:10–12 – Cain is cursed {{transliteration|hbo|min-ha-adamah}}, from the earth, being the same root as "man" and Adam.</ref> When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear! Today you have driven me away from the soil, and I shall be hidden from your face; I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets me may kill me."  Then the Lord said to him, "Not so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance." And the Lord put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him.

Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and named it Enoch after his son Enoch.|[[Book of Genesis]], 4:1–18<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|4:1–18}}</ref>}} 

=== Translation notes ===
{{Reflist|35em|group=lower-roman}}