The valley surrounded by mountains, in it there are tents and the altar of Abel (the tomb of Abel, killed by his brother, Cain). Adam prays at the altar, and his son, Seth, and one of the great-granddaughters, Zelima, speak among themselves. Zelima is happy - after all, today Adam must “introduce her into the marriage canopy,” she marries the wise Heman, whom she herself has chosen as her husband. But Seth cannot rejoice with her, because he has recently seen that his father, Adam, is sad that his face is covered with mortal pallor, and "his legs barely cross."
Adam exclaims: “A gloomy day!” Horrible. " He sends Zelim to his mother and, left alone with Seth, tells him that he had a vision. The Angel of Death and the rivers appeared to him that soon Adam would see him again. The thought of near death, that he must die, and all his children - the whole human race - are also mortal, tormenting Adam, filling his soul with unbearable horror and longing. After all, he was created for immortality, and mortality is the punishment for the great sin that he committed, disobeying the Lord, and all his descendants are responsible for that sin. He asks Seth to implore at least one more day of life from the Creator, but darkness goes down to the valley, the Angel of Death appears and announces to Adam that at the command of the Almighty, he will die “before the sun sets”, the moment the Angel ascends the rock and overthrows it . Adam humbly accepts this message, but his soul is full of sorrow. He does not want his wife, Eve, and his descendants to see him dying. Zelima returns. She is in dismay because a stranger, "formidable, fierce, with quick eyes and a pale face," is looking for Adam. She sees a grave open next to the altar, learns that Adam is preparing for death, and prays not to die. At this time, Cain appears, who accuses Adam of all his misfortunes, and when he asks him to shut up, to pity even the young Zelima, “this crying innocence,” bitterly says: “But where has innocence existed since the children of the Adamovs ? " He wants to take revenge on his father for the fact that he killed his brother, Abel, for the fact that he cannot find peace anywhere. He conceived a terrible revenge - to curse his father on the day of his death. Adam conjures him not to do this for the sake of salvation, which is still possible for Cain, but he exclaims in fury before the altar of the brother he had murdered: “May your curse begin on the day of your death, that your kind be destroyed!” But all of a sudden he - like a man who has fallen from madness - is horrified by what he is doing. Cain imagines that he has shed the blood of his father, and he rushes away, overcome by despair. Cain is great guilty before his father, and the sin committed by him is grievous, but Adam sends Seth to him and orders him to ease his torment and convey that he forgives him. Cain in an ecstatic impulse calls to the Lord and asks to forgive Adam, as he forgave his sinful son. Exhausted by suffering, Adam falls asleep at the tomb. Eve appears. She is full of happiness because her younger son, Zunia, who recently got lost, was found. When Seth informs her that Adam must die, she rushes to her husband in immense sadness and prays to him to take her with him. Awakened Adam consoles her with words full of endless love. At this time, young mothers come, whose children should be blessed by the forefather, and Zunius. Adam, whose eyes were already covered by a death shroud, hears the voice of his youngest son among the voices of crying relatives, but in this world there can no longer be joy for Adam. Seth sees with horror that the tops of the cedars are already covering the sun, and asks Adam to bless them all. But Adam replies that he cannot do this, because a curse lies on him. The fear of death, the thought that he had cursed his children and thereby sentenced them to suffering, torment him even more. "Where will I be?" He asks in despair. The veil from Adam’s eyes falls, he sees the faces of his relatives and the “deplorable dwelling of death” - a finished tomb. But suddenly, when the horror of the dying man reaches its climax, peace comes upon him, as if someone is sending him good news, and everyone, with amazement and great joy, sees his face illuminated by an angelic smile. The fear of death leaves Adam, for he now knows that God has forgiven him and that after death comes salvation and eternal life.
Adam calls on his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Together with Eve, who will soon unite with Adam in a different life, he blesses his descendants and informs them that he is forgiven, and with him the whole human race is forgiven. “You will die, but you will die for immortality,” he instructs his child. He orders them to be wise, noble, to love one another and to thank those who created them at the hour of life and at the hour of death.
A noise is heard in the distance, rocks are overthrown.
Adam dies with the words: “Great judge! I am going to you!"
