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Chapter 20 The Household of God, Book 1

13. And behold, the serpent-woman became inflamed by her inner fury and her whole being shone like the sun, and taking on the form of Abel she spoke again to Cain in the friendliest manner:

14. "Cain, you blind fool, my bad brother, behold, the one whom you have slain with a stone is now standing before you, transfigured, and offers you his hand to make peace with him. Do not fear the form of the serpent, which is actually you yourself: Who became unfaithful to the Lord? Was it you or the serpent? Did you or the serpent sleep with your wife like the dogs, without the demanded offering beforehand? Was it you or the serpent that cursed the heat and in his indolence offered empty straw to the Lord? Tell me, was it the serpent or was it you who flew into a rage against his brother in his wicked jealousy? And was not the serpent just an outward manifestation of your own wickedness through which you persuaded yourself in your great delusion to kill your brother?

15. "Why do you now curse the serpent which is, in fact, you yourself, and how can you take your own brother to be the personified serpent? And did not your own brother, when he was still in his physical body and you went to lead him to his death pretending in your great villainy that you wanted him to free you from the serpent, ask you whether you thought that he, too, was a fratricide?

16. "Say, is this not so? And if it is otherwise, then you may curse the serpent but do not take me, who came from above as a transfigured brother to help you, for the serpent, but only yourself. Give me your hand, which is still soiled with the blood of your brother, that it may be cleansed by my brotherly love from its great guilt and you once more might find mercy before the eyes of the Lord."

17. And lo, in his blindness Cain was deceived by Satan and was on the point of offering the seducer his hand. But a mighty flash of lightning descended from the Sky and struck between the liar and Cain, and the would-be Abel was lying on the ground as a serpent. Cain was trembling all over, expecting the inevitable judgment from above.

18. Then Jehovah spoke from the clouds: "Cain, where is your brother Abel? What have you done to him?"

19. Seeing the serpent lying on the ground, Cain soon took courage and said: "Why do You ask me? Am I my brother's keeper?"

20. And Jehovah's voice spoke more forcibly: "The blood of your brother with which you have soaked the earth is crying to Me! I have seen your deed. Where is Abel, your brother?"

21. And Cain said: "Lord, my sin is so great that it cannot ever be forgiven.

22. "Yes," said Jehovah, "therefore be cursed on the earth which has swallowed Abel's blood, and when in future you till the soil, it will no longer yield you bread. You shall wander about, a fugitive, without a roof over your head, like a wild animal and you shall live on thorns and thistles."

23. Hearing this, Cain was mightily alarmed and said with a shaking voice: "Lord, You forever Just one, behold, You are driving me today from this land, and I must flee from Your countenance and be a fugitive on earth. And it will come to pass that whoever finds me will slay me. Therefore, be merciful for the sake of my family!"

24. And behold, Jehovah spake: "No, nobody shall slay Cain, and he who would do that shall be slain sevenfold! In order that no one lays violent hands upon you, I will mark your forehead with a black stain and no one shall ever know nor slay you."

25. And Cain fled with his family from My sight far beyond Heden to the low land of Nod. Heden was a beautiful land of small hills with an abundance of the best fruit and Cain liked it very much and wanted to settle there. However, looking towards the hills he noticed everywhere a man of a forbidding appearance standing with a stone in his hand as if he were waiting for Cain in order to revenge his evil deed. This apparition was a sign of the great fear in his heart, and he knew that he could not remain here.

26. So he fled on and on towards the east and came to a large valley. There he fell to the ground completely exhausted and slept for three days and three nights. Then a mighty wind blew down from the mountains, roused the sleepers, soughed and roared over the vast plains and finally died down in the valleys of the land called 'Nod' or 'dry bottom of the sea'.

27. Again Cain looked up to the high mountain peaks and here he no longer saw any men, but he did not know what to do. After a short while he raised his arms and shouted at the top of his voice: "Lord, You Most Just one, if from this great distance my voice still reaches Your ear, for the sake of the children and my wife look graciously across these mountain peaks at the marked fugitive from the eyes of Your holiness, which has marked my forehead with the night of sin, and let me have an unmarked forehead so that my evil deed may not be recognized, which is marked on the forehead, the hands and the chest of the great sinner whose sin is too great that it could ever be forgiven."

28. And behold, a cloud came across the tall mountains at seventy-seven heights of man above the fugitive, and a powerful voice spoke from it. It was the voice of Abel and he said: "Cain, do you know this voice?"

29. And Cain answered: "O brother Abel, if you have come to take petty vengeance on me, your murderer, then do to me according to justice, but spare your blessed sister and her children!"

30. Then the voice spoke again, saying: "Cain, he who commits a crime is a sinner, but he who repays evil with evil is a servant of sin. The one who rewards good with good has paid his debt, but there is nothing left for him. He, who rewards a good deed manifold, is worthy of his brothers. However, before God only one thing counts and that is, to return good for evil, bless those who curse their benefactors and give one's life for death.

31. "And behold, as the latter I come to you. So do not fear me, for I was sent from above, firstly, to show you that the Lord is true and faithful in all His promises and, secondly, to tell you that you are to remain in this land with your family and live on the fruit you will find here and, finally, also to let you know that your brother has forgiven you your wicked deed through the great love of the Father within him.

32. "For my blood you shall atone with your tears of repentance until the stain has been washed off your forehead; and you shall guide your children and your wife in the fear of the Lord. If you will do this spontaneously out of fear of the Lord, you will remain and live as an outlaw, but if you do it out of love you will touch the hardened heart of justice."

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