n mercy for him, to try and
make him repent.

21 For if Cain had repented at that time, and had said, "O God, forgive
me my sin, and the murder of my brother," God would then have forgiven
him his sin.

22 And as to God saying to Cain, "Cursed be the ground that has drunk
the blood of your brother." That also, was God's mercy on Cain. For
God did not curse him, but He cursed the ground; although it was not
the ground that had killed Abel, and committed a wicked sin.

23 For it was fitting that the curse should fall on the murderer; yet
in mercy did God so manage His thoughts as that no one should know it,
and turn away from Cain.

24 And He said to him, "Where is your brother?" To which he answered
and said, "I know not." Then the Creator said to him, "Be trembling and
quaking."

25 Then Cain trembled and became terrified; and through this sign did
God make him an example before all the creation, as the murderer of his
brother. Also did God bring trembling and terror over him, that he
might see the peace in which he was at first, and see also the
trembling and terror he endured at the last; so that he might humble
himself before God, and repent of his sin, and seek the peace that he
enjoyed at first.

26 And in the word of God that said, "I will put seven punishments on
anyone who kills Cain," God was not seeking to kill Cain with the
sword, but He sought to make him die of fasting, and praying and crying
by hard rule, until the time that he was delivered from his sin.

27 And the seven punishments are the seven generations during which God
awaited Cain for the murder of his brother.

28 But as to Cain, ever since he had killed his brother, he could find
no rest in any place; but went back to Adam and Eve, trembling,
terrified, and defiled with blood. . . .

End of Project Gutenberg's First Book of Adam and Eve, by Rutherford Platt

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