And Cain spoke to Abel, his brother.
And when they were in the field
Cain rose up against Abel, his brother
and killed him.
And the Lord said to Cain:
‘Where is Abel, your brother?’
And he said
‘I do not know:
the keeper of my brother am I?’
And he said:
‘What have you done?
The voice of your brother’s blood
cries out to me
from the ground.
And now you are cursed
from the land
which has opened its mouth
to receive your brother’s blood
from your hand.
For when you work the ground
it will not again give you its strength.
A fugitive and wanderer you will be in the land.’
And Cain said to the LORD
‘My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Look, today you have driven me
away from the face of the ground
and away from your face I will be hidden.
And I will be a wanderer and fugitive
on the earth
and whoever finds me will kill me. ‘
And the LORD said to him
‘So then
anyone killing Cain
will be punished seven-fold. ‘
And the LORD put a sign on Cain
lest any who found him should strike him.
And Cain went from the face of the LORD
and settled in the land of Nod (Wandering),
east of Eden.
Eternal God and Father,
you create us by your power,
and redeem us by your love,
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves in love and service
to one another and to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.