(story told in Genesis 4:1-17)
Cain and Abel were the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain worked the soil, growing crops, while Abel cared for sheep. One day, both brothers brought offerings to God—Cain offered some of his harvest, and Abel brought the best parts of his flock. God was pleased with Abel’s offering but not with Cain’s, though the Bible doesn’t say exactly why. This made Cain very angry and jealous of his brother.
God spoke to Cain, warning him that sin was waiting to control him but that he could choose to do what was right. Instead of listening, Cain invited Abel to go out into the field, and there he attacked and killed him. This became the first murder in human history—a tragic result of jealousy and anger that was left unchecked.
Afterward, God asked Cain where his brother was. Cain answered, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” But God already knew what had happened. He told Cain that his brother’s blood cried out from the ground. As punishment, God cursed the ground Cain worked on so it would no longer produce crops easily, and Cain would become a wanderer on the earth.
Cain feared that someone might kill him in revenge, but God showed mercy even then. He placed a special mark on Cain to protect him, promising that anyone who harmed him would be punished severely.
Cain eventually left the presence of God and went to live in a land called Nod, east of Eden. There, he started a family and built a city. His story shows how jealousy and anger can lead to destruction, but also how God’s justice is balanced with mercy.