THE FIRST BABY IN THE WORLD, AND HIS BROTHER
O Ăd́ ăm and his wife went out into the world to live and to work. For a time they were all alone, but after a while God gave them a little child of their own, the first baby that ever came into the world. Ēve named him Cāin; and after a time another baby came, whom she named Ā́ bĕl. When the two boys grew up, they worked, as their father worked before them. Cāin chose to work in the fields, and to raise grain and fruits. Ā́ bĕl had a flock of sheep and became a shepherd.
While Ăd́ ăm and Eve were living in the Garden of Ḗ dĕn, they could talk with God, and hear God's voice speaking to them. But now that they were out in the world, they could no longer talk with God freely, as before. So when they came to God, they built an altar of stones heaped up, and upon it they laid something as a gift to God, and burned it, to show that it was not their own, but was given to God, whom they could not see. Then before the altar they made their prayer to God, and asked God to forgive their sins, all that they had done that was wrong; and prayed God to bless them and do good to them.
Each of these brothers, Cain and Ā́ bĕl, offered upon the altar to God his own gift. Cāin brought the fruits and the grain which he had grown; and Ā́ bĕl brought a sheep from his flock, and killed it and burned it upon the altar. For some reason God was pleased with Ā́ bĕl and his offering, but was not pleased with Cāin and his offering. Perhaps God wished Cāin to offer something that had life, as Ā́ bĕl offered; perhaps Cāin's heart was not right when he came before God.
And God shown that He was not pleased with Cāin, and Cāin, instead of being sorry for his sin, and asking God to forgive him, was very angry with God, and angry also toward his brother when they were out in the field together, Cāin struck his brother Ā́bĕl and killed him. So the first baby in the world grew up to be the murderer of his own brother.
And the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Ā́ bĕl your brother?"
And Cāin answered, "I do not know; why should I take care of my brother?"
Then the Lord said to Cāin, "What is this that you have done?
Your brother's blood is like a voice crying to me from the ground.
Do you see how the ground has opened, like a mouth, to drink your brother's blood? As long, as you live, you shall be under God's curse for the murder of your brother. You shall wander over the earth, and shall never find a home, because you have done this wicked deed."
And Cāin said to the Lord, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Thou hast driven me out from among men; and thou hast hid thy face from me. If any man finds me he will kill me, because I shall be alone, and no one will be my friend."
And God said to Cāin, "If any one harms Cāin, he shall be punished for it." And the Lord God placed a mark on Cāin, so that whoever met him should know him, and should know also that God had forbidden any man to harm him. Then Cāin and his wife went away from Ăd́ ăm’s home, to live in a place by themselves, and there they had children. And Cāin's family built a city in that land; and Cāin named the city after his first child, whom he had called Ḗ nŏch.