XII.
Then the Master of Splendor asked Cain through his
word, where Abel was, upon the earth. Quickly there-
upon the wicked worker of slaughter answered him:1005
"I know not Abel's coming or going, my kinsman's
course: I was not my brother's keeper!"
Then the Prince of Angels, the Spirit rich in good
things, spoke to him again:
"Why didst thou cast that virtuous man, thy brother,1010
on his death-bed with thy violent hands, and his blood
now calleth and crieth unto me? For this murder
shalt thou undergo punishment and wander in exile1015
accursed unto distant ages: nor shall the earth, fair
for all necessary sustenance, yield thee harvest, for it
drank sacred blood at thy hands: therefore the earth,
verdant in beauty, denies thee its bounties. Infamous,
thou shalt sorrowfully wander from thy native land,
because thou hast been Abel's murderer: thou shalt1020
go forth an outcast over a long road, hateful to all thy
relatives!"
Then Cain answered him[11]:
"Now I dare not hope for any grace in the kingdoms
of the world, for I have forfeited, O high King of heaven,1025
thy favor as well as love and peace: therefore shall I
travel far ways in expectation of woes, whensoever any
one far or near shall find me, in my guilt, who may
remember my crime, my brother's murder: I shed his1030
blood, his life-blood on the ground. On this day thou
dost banish me from comfort and drive me from my
native land: someone of my foes shall be my murderer;
accursed, O God, shall I wander from thy sight."1035
Then the Lord of Victory spoke to him:
"Thou needst not as yet dread the terror of death
and murder, though thou shalt depart far from thy
friends, an outcast. If any man by his own hand1040
deprives thee of life, then shall come upon him sevenfold
vengeance for his sin, as penalty for his deed."
Our Ruler and glorious Lord set on him a sign, the1045
Master [set] a symbol of immunity, so that none of his
foes far or near might dare to approach him with warlike
intent; then he bade the wicked one leave forever his
mother and sons, all his family. Thereupon Cain set
out and departed sorrowing from before the face of God,1050
a joyless exile, and built himself a dwelling to the east,
a habitation far from his fatherland: there a fair maiden,
a woman of the country, bore him offspring.
The eldest was called Enos, first-born of Cain; he1055
began at once to build a city, with his kinsfolk: that
was the first beneath the clouds of all the fortifications
which heroes and swordsmen have caused to be built.1060
Therein his offspring first arose, born of his wife in the
citadel: the eldest son of Enos was called Jared. Thence
arose the tribe of Cain, which increased the numbers1065
of its race. Next to Jared, Malalehel was the keeper
of the heritage after his father, until he passed away.
Afterwards Mathusal shared the royal treasures with
his kinsfolk, with his brothers, scion after scion, until1070
wise through length of days he had to consummate
his departure from the world and forsake life. After
his father's day, Lamech received the household
goods and domestic wealth: two wives, Ada and1075
Sella, women of the country, bore offspring to him: of
these one was Jabal by name, son of Lamech, who
through skilful cunning first of dwellers here below
awoke by his hands the song of the harp, that melo-1080
dious sound.