Jehovah’s Counsel and Cain’s Response

Jehovah reasoned with Cain. “Why are you hot with anger and why has your countenance fallen?” he asked. This gave Cain ample opportunity to scrutinize his feelings and motives. “If you turn to doing good,” Jehovah continued, “will there not be an exaltation? But if you do not turn to doing good, there is sin crouching at the entrance, and for you is its craving; and will you, for your part, get the mastery over it?”​—Genesis 4:6, 7. (See box on page 23.)

“WHY are you hot with anger and why has your countenance fallen?” With this question, Jehovah kindly reasoned with Cain. He did not force Cain to change, for Cain was a free moral agent. (Compare Deuteronomy 30:19.) Nevertheless, Jehovah did not hesitate to outline the consequences of Cain’s wayward course. He warned Cain: “If you do not turn to doing good, there is sin crouching at the entrance, and for you is its craving.”​—Genesis 4:6, 7.