Jealousy overcomes Qayin. He makes trouble in the family. How the first murder was planned.
1 THEN Aḏam said to Ḥawwah, “Behold the children are grown up; we must think of finding wives for them.”
2 Then Ḥawwah answered, “How can we do it?”
3 Then Aḏam said to her, “We will join Heḇel’s sister in marriage to Qayin, and Qayin’s sister to Heḇel.”
4 Then said Ḥawwah to Aḏam, “I do not like Qayin because he is hard-hearted; but let them bide until we offer up unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in their behalf.”
5 And Aḏam said no more.
6 Meanwhile Satan came to Qayin in the figure of a man of the field, and said to him, “Behold Aḏam and Ḥawwah have taken counsel together about the marriage of you two; and they have agreed to marry Heḇel’s sister to thee, and thy sister to him.
7 “But if it was not that I love thee, I would not have told thee this thing. Yet if thou wilt take my advice, and hearken to me, I will bring: thee on thy wedding day beautiful robes, gold and silver in plenty, and my relations will attend thee.”
8 Then Qayin said with joy, “Where are thy relations?”
9 And Satan answered, “My relations are in a garden in the north, whither I once meant to bring thy father Aḏam; but he would not accept my offer.
10 “But thou, if thou wilt receive my words and if thou wilt come unto me after thy wedding, thou shalt rest from the misery in which thou art; and thou shalt rest and be better off than thy father Aḏam.”
11 At these words of Satan Qayin opened his ears, and leant towards his speech.
12 And he did not remain in the field, but he went to Ḥawwah, his mother, and beat her, and cursed her, and said to her, “Why are ye about taking my sister to wed her to my brother? Am I dead””
13 His mother, however, quieted him, and sent him to the field where be had been.
14 Then when Aḏam came, she told him of what Qayin had done.
15 But Aḏam grieved and held his peace, and said not a word.
16 Then on the morrow Aḏam said unto Qayin his son, “Take of thy sheep, young and good, and offer them up unto thy Elohim; and I will speak to thy brother, to make unto his Elohim an offering of corn.”
17 They both hearkened to their father Aḏam, and they took their offerings, and offered them up on the mountain by the altar.
18 But Qayin behaved haughtily towards his brother, and thrust him from the altar, and would not let him offer up his gift upon the altar; but he offered his own upon it, with a proud heart, full of guile, and fraud.
19 But as for Heḇel, he set up stones that were near at hand, and upon that, he offered up his gift with a heart humble and free from guile.
20 Qayin was then standing by the altar on which he had offered up his gift; and he cried unto Elohim to accept his offering; but Elohim 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 humour and wroth, looking towards his brother Heḇel, to see if Elohim would accept his offering or not.
22 And Heḇel prayed unto Elohim to accept his offering. Then a divine fire came down and consumed his offering. And Elohim smelled the sweet savour of his offering; because Heḇel loved Him and rejoiced in Him.
23 And because Elohim was well pleased with him He sent him an messenger of light in the figure of man who had partaken of his offering, because He had smelled the sweet savour of his offering, and they comforted Heḇel and strengthened his heart.
24 But Qayin was looking on all that took place at his brother’s offering, and was wroth on account of it.
25 Then he opened his mouth and blasphemed Elohim, because He had not accepted his offering.
26 But Elohim said unto Qayin, “Wherefore is thy countenance sad? Be righteous, that I may accept thy offering. Not against Me hast thou murmured, but against thyself.”
27 And Elohim said this to Qayin in rebuke, and because He abhorred him and his offering.
28 And Qayin came down from the altar, his colour changed and of a woeful countenance, and came to his father and mother and told them all that had befallen him. And Aḏam grieved much because Elohim had not accepted Qayin’s offering.
29 But Heḇel came down rejoicing, and with a gladsome heart, and told his father and mother how Elohim had accepted his offering. And they rejoiced at it and kissed his face.
30 And Heḇel said to his father, “Because Qayin thrust me from the altar, and would not allow me to offer my gift upon it, I made an altar for myself and offered my gift upon it.”
31 But when Aḏam heard this he was very sorry, because it was the altar he had built at first, and upon which he had offered his own gifts.
32 As to Qayin, he was so sullen and so angry that he went into the field, where Satan came to him and said to him, “Since thy brother Heḇel has taken refuge with thy father Aḏam, because thou didst thrust him from the altar, they have kissed his face, and they rejoice over him, far more than over thee.”
33 When Qayin 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, thou hast never been one day in the field to take thy pleasure therein.
35 “To-day, O, my brother, I very much wish thou wouldest come with me into the field, to enjoy thyself and to bless our fields and our flocks, for thou art righteous, and I love thee much, O my brother! but thou hast estranged thyself from me.”
36 Then Heḇel consented to go with his brother Qayin into the field.
37 But before going out, Qayin said to Heḇel, “Wait for me, until I fetch a staff, because of wild beasts.”
38 Then Heḇel stood waiting in his innocence. But Qayin, the forward, fetched a staff and went out.
39 And they began, Qayin and his brother Heḇel, to walk in the way; Qayin talking to him, and comforting him, to make him forget everything.