A wicked plan is carried to a tragic conclusion. Qayin is frightened. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The seven punishments. Peace is shattered.
1 AND so they went on, until they came to a lonely place, where there were no sheep; then Heḇel said to Qayin, “Behold, my brother, we are weary of walking; for we see none of the trees, nor of the fruits, nor of the verdure, nor of the sheep, nor any one of the things of which thou didst tell me. Where are those sheep of thine thou didst tell me to bless?”
2 Then Qayin said to him, “Come on, and presently thou shalt see many beautiful things. but go before me, until I come up to thee.”
3 Then went Heḇel forward, but Qayin remained behind him.
4 And Heḇel was walking in his innocence, without guile; not believing his brother would kill him.
5 Then Qayin, when he came up to him, comforted him with his talk, walking a little behind him; then he hastened, and smote him with the staff, blow upon blow, until he was stunned,
6 But when Heḇel fell down upon the ground, seeing that his brother meant to kill him, he said to Qayin, “O, my brother, have pity on me. By the breasts we have sucked, smite me not! By the womb that bare us and that brought us into the world, smite me not unto death with that staff! If thou wilt kill me, take one of these large stones, and kill me outright.”
7 Then Qayin, the hard-hearted, and cruel murderer, took a large stone, and smote his brother with it upon the head, until his brains oozed out, and he weltered in his blood, before him.
8 And Qayin repented not of what he had done.
9 But the earth, when the blood of righteous Heḇel fell upon it, trembled, as it drank his blood, and would have brought Qayin to naught for it.
10 And the blood of Heḇel cried mysteriously to Elohim, to avenge him of his murderer.
11 Then Qayin began at once to dig the earth wherein to lay his brother; for he was trembling from the fear that came upon him, when he saw the earth tremble on his account.
12 He then cast his brother into the pit he made, and covered him with dust. But the earth would not receive him; but it threw him up at once.
13 Again did Qayin dig the earth and hid his brother in it; but again did the earth throw him up on itself; until three times did the earth thus throw up on itself the body of Heḇel.
14 The muddy earth threw him up the first time, because he was not the first creation; and it threw him up the second time and would not receive him, because he was righteous and good, and was killed without a cause; and the earth threw him up the third time and would not receive him, that there might remain before his brother a witness against him.
15 And so did the earth mock Qayin, until the Word of Elohim, came to him concerning his brother.
16 Then was Elohim angry, and much displeased at Heḇel’s death; and He thundered from shamayim, and lightnings went before Him, and the Word of HWHY Elohim came from shamayim to Qayin, and said unto him, “Where is Heḇel thy brother?”
17 Then Qayin answered with a proud heart and a gruff voice, “How, O Elohim? am I my brother’s keeper?”
18 Then Elohim said unto Qayin, “Cursed be the earth that has drunk the blood of Heḇel thy brother; and thou, be thou trembling and shaking; and this will be a sign unto thee, that whosoever finds thee, shall kill thee.”
19 But Qayin wept because Elohim had said those words to him; and Qayin said unto Him “O Elohim, whosoever finds me shall kill me, and I shall be blotted out from the face of the earth.”
20 Then Elohim said unto Qayin, “Whosoever shall find thee shall not kill thee;” because before this, Elohim had been saying to Qayin, “I shall forego seven punishments on him who kills Qayin.” For as to the word of Elohim to Qayin, “Where is thy brother?” Elohim said it in mercy for him, to try and make him repent.
21 For if Qayin had repented at that time, and had said, “O Elohim, forgive me my sin, and the murder of my brother,” Elohim would then have forgiven him his sin.
22 And as to Elohim saying to Qayin, “Cursed be the ground that has drunk the blood of thy brother” that also, was Elohim’s mercy on Qayin. For Elohim did not curse him, but He cursed the ground; although it was not the ground that had killed Heḇel, and had committed iniquity.
23 For it was meet that the curse should fall upon the murderer; yet in mercy did Elohim so manage His thoughts as that no one should know it, and turn away from Qayin.
24 And He said to him, “Where is thy brother?” To which he answered and said, “I know not.” Then the Creator said to him, “Be trembling and quaking.”
25 Then Qayin trembled and became terrified; and through this sign did Elohim make him an example before all the creation, as the murderer of his brother. Also did Elohim bring trembling and terror upon him, that he might see the peace in which he was at first, and see also the trembling and terror he endured at the last; so that he might humble himself before Elohim, and repent of his sin, and seek the peace he enjoyed at first.
26 And in the word of Elohim that said, “I will forego seven punishments on whomsoever kills Qayin,” Elohim was not seeking to kill Qayin with the sword, but He sought to make him die of fasting, and praying and weeping by hard rule, until the time that he was delivered from his sin.
27 And the seven punishments are the seven generations during which Elohim awaited Qayin for the murder of his brother.
28 But as to Qayin, ever since he had killed his brother, he could find no rest in any place; but went back to Aḏam and Ḥawwah, trembling, terrified, and defiled with blood.