"Bedtime Bible Stories"

From the Book of Genesis
Chapter 4

After they had lived out in the world for a
time, Adam and Eve had a baby. It was a
little boy. Eve named him Cain, which was
a word that meant 1 have created.'
"With God's help," Eve said, "I have

created a man."
Not long after, they had another son. Eve named
Cain's brother Abel.
When the brothers were older, they each began to
help their family. Abel became a shepherd, helping to
care for flocks of sheep. Cain, his brother, became a
farmer, growing grains, fruits and vegetables.
At harvest time, both boys would bring a gift to
God. Cain gave some of his grains, fruits and vegetables
while Abel offered the Lord some of the meat from his
best lambs. For some reason, God accepted Abel's
offering, but not Cain's. Maybe Cain kept the best food
for himself. Only God knows the reason that He did not
accept the older brother's gift.
Gain became very angry when God refused his gift.
He became red in the face and his eyes grew dark. God
said to Gain, "Why are you angry? If you would only obey
me then your life will be happy and bright. If you don't
obey me, then you'd better watch out."
Not long after, Cain said to Abel, "Let's take a walk
out into the fields." Maybe Abel thought that Cain was
going to apologize for being angry with the Lord. No one
really knows. What Cain was actually planning was to get
Abel alone so no one would see them. When they were
out in the fields Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed
him.
Soon afterwards, the Lord came to Cain and asked
him, "Where is Abel, your brother?"
Cain asked, "I don't know. Am I supposed to keep
track of wherever my brother goes?"
But the Lord knew that Cain was lying. He could
see Abel's blood on the ground. "What have you done?"
cried the Lord.
In His anger, the Lord cursed Cain and the ground
where he stood. "You have stained the ground with your
brother's blood," He said. "From now on, you won't be
able to grow anything anywhere. No matter how hard you
work, nothing will ever grow for you again."
Then the Lord told Cain that he could never go
home again. In fact, he wasn't even allowed to build a
new home. Instead, he had to wander across the land as a
tramp.
Cain was very frightened. He said to the Lord, "If I
am a tramp, wandering around without a home, other
creatures will try to kill me."
The Lord wanted to make an example out of Cain,
so he said, "No one will be allowed to kill you. If they try,
I will give them seven times the punishment I am giving
to you." Then the Lord reached down and made a mark
on Cain so everyone in the world would recognize him.
Cain went away to live and wander in a land called
Nod which was east of the Garden of Eden.