The First Book Of Adam And Eve
1926 anthology, complete selected publisher reading text
Rutherford H. Platt
14 Then when Adam came, she told him of what Cain had done.
15 But Adam grieved and held his peace, and said not a word.
16 Then on the morrow Adam said unto Cain his son, “Take of thy sheep, young and good, and offer them up unto thy God; and I will speak to thy brother, to make unto his God an offering of corn.”
17 They both hearkened to their father Adam, and they took their offerings, and offered them up on the mountain by the altar.
18 But Cain 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 Abel, 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 Cain was then standing by the altar on which he had offered up his gift; and he cried unto God to accept his offering; but God 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 Abel, to see if God would accept his offering or not.
22 And Abel prayed unto God to accept his offering. Then a divine fire came down and consumed his offering. And God smelled the sweet savour of his offering; because Abel loved Him and rejoiced in Him.
23 And because God was well pleased with him He sent him an angel 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 Abel and strengthened his heart.
24 But Cain 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 God, because He had not accepted his offering.
26 But God said unto Cain, “Wherefore is thy countenance sad? Be righteous, that I may accept thy offering. Not against Me hast thou murmured, but against thyself.”
27 And God said this to Cain in rebuke, and because He abhorred him and his offering.
28 And Cain 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 Adam grieved much because God had not accepted Cain’s offering.
29 But Abel came down rejoicing, and with a gladsome heart, and told his father and mother how God had accepted his offering. And they rejoiced at it and kissed his face.
30 And Abel said to his father, “Because Cain 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 Adam 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 Cain, 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 Abel has taken refuge with thy father Adam, 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 Cain 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 Abel consented to go with his brother Cain into the field.
37 But before going out, Cain said to Abel, “Wait for me, until I fetch a staff, because of wild beasts.”
38 Then Abel stood waiting in his innocence. But Cain, the forward, fetched a staff and went out.
39 And they began, Cain and his brother Abel, to walk in the way; Cain talking to him, and comforting him, to make him forget everything.
CHAP. LXXIX.
A wicked plan is carried to a tragic conclusion. Cain is frightened. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The seven punishments. Peace is shattered.
AND so they went on, until they came to a lonely place, where there were no sheep; then Abel said to Cain, “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 Cain 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 Abel forward, but Cain remained behind him.
4 And Abel was walking in his innocence, without guile; not believing his brother would kill him.
5 Then Cain, 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 Abel fell down upon the ground, seeing that his brother meant to kill him, he said to Cain, “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 Cain, 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 Cain repented not of what he had done.
9 But the earth, when the blood of righteous Abel fell upon it, trembled, as it drank his blood, and would have brought Cain to naught for it.
10 And the blood of Abel cried mysteriously to God, to avenge him of his murderer.
11 Then Cain 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.