King James Bible
"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."
God poses a rhetorical question to Cain after rejecting his offering, affirming that righteous behavior leads to divine acceptance. The question implies Cain knows what constitutes "doing well" and that his offering's rejection stems from a moral rather than procedural failure. Sin is personified as a predator crouching at the threshold, ready to pounce on those who choose wrongdoing. This vivid metaphor warns Cain that moral failure makes him vulnerable to sin's destructive power, presenting evil as an active force seeking to dominate. The pronouns likely refer to sin's desire to control Cain, while asserting that humans possess the capacity to master sinful impulses. This echoes the language of Genesis 3:16, establishing a pattern of desire and dominion that defines the human struggle with temptation.