One verse. Three ways to understand.
And now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened up to receive your brother's blood that you spilled.
God is telling Cain that he is now cursed because the earth itself has witnessed his murder of Abel and received his brother's blood.
These are AI-assisted adaptations, not separate Bible editions. Compare them with the KJV source and read our methodology. How these readings are made →
Read the KJV source
King James Version · EnglishAnd now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;Ask the AI Assistant
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📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of Genesis, this verse occurs immediately after Cain murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy because God favored Abel's offering, marking one of the earliest accounts of human sin and its consequences. God is directly addressing Cain and pronouncing a curse, emphasizing that the earth itself has been affected by the bloodshed, as it "opened its mouth" to receive Abel's blood. This reflects the ancient view that violent acts defile the land, a concept rooted in the cultural understanding of the time where the earth was seen as a witness to human actions.