Bible: Genesis 3:14-19; 4:1-15

3:14 The Lord God said to the serpent, 1 

“Because you have done this,

cursed 2  are you above all the wild beasts

and all the living creatures of the field!

On your belly you will crawl 3 

and dust you will eat 4  all the days of your life.

3:15 And I will put hostility 5  between you and the woman

and between your offspring and her offspring; 6 

her offspring will attack 7  your head,

and 8  you 9  will attack her offspring’s heel.” 10 

3:16 To the woman he said,

I will greatly increase 11  your labor pains; 12 

with pain you will give birth to children.

You will want to control your husband, 13 

but he will dominate 14  you.”

3:17 But to Adam 15  he said,

Because you obeyed 16  your wife

and ate from the tree about which I commanded you,

‘You must not eat from it,’

cursed is the ground 17  thanks to you; 18 

in painful toil you will eat 19  of it all the days of your life.

3:18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

but you will eat the grain 20  of the field.

3:19 By the sweat of your brow 21  you will eat food

until you return to the ground, 22 

for out of it you were taken;

for you are dust, and to dust you will return.” 23 

The Story of Cain and Abel

4:1 Now 1  the man had marital relations with 2  his wife Eve, and she became pregnant 3  and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created 4  a man just as the Lord did! 5  4:2 Then she gave birth 6  to his brother Abel. 7  Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. 8 

4:3 At the designated time 9  Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering 10  to the Lord. 4:4 But Abel brought 11  some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest 12  of them. And the Lord was pleased with 13  Abel and his offering, 4:5 but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. 14  So Cain became very angry, 15  and his expression was downcast. 16 

4:6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? 4:7 Is it not true 17  that if you do what is right, you will be fine? 18  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching 19  at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” 20 

4:8 Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” 21  While they were in the field, Cain attacked 22  his brother 23  Abel and killed him.

4:9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” 24  And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian? 25  4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? 26  The voice 27  of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! 4:11 So now, you are banished 28  from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 4:12 When you try to cultivate 29  the

ground it will no longer yield 30  its best 31  for you. You will be a homeless wanderer 32  on the earth.” 4:13 Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment 33  is too great to endure! 34  4:14 Look! You are driving me off the land 35  today, and I must hide from your presence. 36  I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.” 4:15 But the Lord said to him, “All right then, 37  if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” 38  Then the Lord put a special mark 39  on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. 40 

NET Bible Study Environment