First Reading: Genesis 4:1-15, 25

¹ Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.”
² And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground.
³ In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,
⁴ and Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,
⁵ but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
⁶ The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen?
⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is couching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
⁸ Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him.
⁹ Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
¹⁰ And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.
¹¹ And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
¹² When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength; you shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
¹³ Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
¹⁴ Behold, thou hast driven me this day away from the ground; and from thy face I shall be hidden; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will slay me.”
¹⁵ Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If any one slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him.
²⁵ And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him.”