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your way to Jehovah, and you cannot. But if you ask for forgiveness, Jehovah is gracious, and he will surely give it. Then, your sacrifice will also be accepted.’
    “‘ Where will I get this perfect lamb?’ Cain asked. ‘I raise no animals.’
    “‘ Buy one from me.’
    “‘ Buy?’
    “‘ What good is a sacrifice to Jehovah if it doesn’t cost you anything?’ Abel asked.
    “ ‘Those are fine words,’ Cain shouted. ‘But admit that what you really want is that I crawl on my hands and knees to you, to beg you, the younger, for your favor, so I can purchase one of your stinking lambs!’
    “ Abel drew back from Cain, who had grown red-faced.
    “ Cain roared, spittle flying from his mouth, and he picked up a rock and dashed it against Abel’s brow.”
    Ham scowled as the younger children moaned . He leaned near Rahab. “Why is he telling them a story like that?”
    “ Shhh,” Rahab said.
    “ He should wait until they’re older before loosening such a bloodthirsty tale,” Ham said.
    “ Jehovah came to Cain,” Noah said. “Jehovah asked him, ‘Where is thy brother Abel?’
    “‘ How should I know?’ Cain asked. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’
    “ Jehovah said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the Earth.’
    “ Oh,” Noah said, “Cain wailed that his fate was too harsh, but he did not fall on his face and beg for forgiveness, nor did he say that he was sorry for killing his own flesh and blood, his very own brother.
    “ Now,” Noah said, “what did Jehovah mean when he first told Cain that sin crouched at his door? Why, that Cain plotted harm to his brother, and that envy and rage hid in his heart. You, my grandchildren, and you especially, Gomer and Kush, must make certain that rage and envy and other such sins are not crouching at your heart. Do not hate your brother or your cousin. Do not stir up wrath and rage among yourselves. For if you do, then sin will choke you and cause curses from heaven to fall on you. I brought you here tonight to warn you of the terrible thing that is ready to be unleashed among us. Nothing will ever be the same if it does. So beware! Take heed from the lesson of Cain and Abel. Do not think that you will escape the judgment of sin if you harbor it and cherish it like some sweet fruit. Take the advice of Abel, and do what is right, so Jehovah will accept you, and so you may have peace with your brothers and with your cousins.”
    Noah swept his fierce gaze over them . “Do you understand?”
    The children nodded solemnly, while Gomer blushed and Kush stared at the ground.
    “Do you hear me, Kush?”
    Kush whipped up his head, his eyes wide . “Yes, Grandfather.” But as soon as Noah looked away, Kush shot a look of hatred at Gomer.
    “ And you Gomer?” Noah asked.
    Gomer nodded, ashen-faced.
    One more time, Noah scanned his grandchildren and his sons and daughters-in-law. “Good. That is all I have to say.”
     

9.
     
    Shem and Ruth spoke earnestly with Deborah, cautioning her lest she be the cause of hatred between cousins. Pretending to be intimidated, Deborah donned a shawl and did her chores downcast. What she wasn’t going to do was let herself be cheated out of a husband. How did she know who loved her best? More to the point, which one of them was worthy to be her husband?
    On the third day after Noah ’s talk, she spied tall, handsome Gomer trooping in from the fields with a hoe over his shoulder. Deborah carried a basket of chicken eggs, slowly walking past Uncle Ham’s stone corral. A gray rag hid her tresses, and she stared at the ground, pretending not to notice sweaty Gomer.
    “ What did you lose, Deborah?” he asked.
    She stopped, but didn ’t look