Cain becomes jealous because of his
sisters.
Book I. Chapter LXXVI.
-
And the children began to wax
stronger, and to grow in stature; but Cain was hard-hearted, and ruled
over his younger brother.
-
And oftentimes when his
father made an offering, he would remain behind and not go with them,
to offer up.
-
But, as to Abel, he had a
meek heart, and was obedient to his father and mother, whom he often
moved to make an offering, because he loved it; and prayed and fasted
much.
-
Then came this sign to
Abel. As he was coming into the Cave of Treasures, and saw the
golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he inquired of his parents
Adam and Eve concerning them, and said unto them, "How did you
come by these?"
-
Then Adam told him all that
had befallen them. And Abel felt deeply about what his father
told him.
-
Furthermore, his father,
Adam, told him of the works of God, and of the garden; and after that,
he remained behind his father the whole of that night in the Cave of
Treasures.
-
And that night, while he was
praying, Satan appeared unto him under the figure of a man, who said
to him, "Thou hast oftentimes moved thy father to make an
offering, to fast and to pray, therefore I will kill thee, and make
thee perish from this world."
-
But as for Abel, he prayed to
God, and drove away Satan from him; and believed not the words of the
devil. Then when it was day, an angel of God appeared unto him,
who said to him, "Shorten neither fasting, prayer, nor offering
up an oblation unto thy God. For, lo, the Lord has accepted thy
prayer. Be not afraid of the figure which appeared unto thee in
the night, and who cursed thee unto death." And the angel
departed from him.
-
Then when it was day, Abel
came to Adam and Eve, and told them of the vision he had seen.
But when they heard it, they grieved much over it, yet said nothing to
him about it; they only comforted him.
-
But as to hard-hearted
Cain, Satan came to him by night, showed himself and said unto him,
"Since Adam and Eve love thy brother Abel much more than they
love thee, and wish to join him in marriage to thy beautiful sister,
because they love him; but wish to join thee in marriage to his
ill-favored sister, because they hate thee;
-
"Now, therefore, I
counsel thee, when they do that, to kill thy brother; then thy sister
will be left for thee; and his sister will be cast away."
-
And Satan departed from
him. But the wicked One remained behind in the heart of Cain,
who sought many a time, to kill his brother.
|
|