800 Words: My Translation of the First Two Paragraphs of Genesis

On election day last year, I did this to take my mind off the election. I haven't resumed since. I tried to do as literal a translation as possible, with all the potential implied meanings of the Hebrew text. I think it was pretty good for someone who is no biblical scholar and has forgotten half the Hebrew he ever learned, but this shit is hard!

In principle cause composed Divinity the sky and the land. And the land, she was abyss and amiss, and elemental darkness on abyss’s face; and divine breath, hovering on the face of water. And said Divinity, may there emerge light, and there emerged light. And there may see Divinity the light, because it is good. And divided Divinity between the light and between the darkness. And called Divinity to light Day, and to darkness called Night; And there emerged evening, and there emerged morning, Day One.

And said Divinity, may there emerge atmosphere within the water, and there emerges division between water to the water. And formed Divinity the atmosphere, and divided between the water that was under the atmosphere, and the water that was on the atmosphere; and there emerged was the atmosphere which was under the water, and between the water the atmosphere emerged from there. And there it remained. And called Divinity to the atmosphere: Sky; and there emerged evening, and there emerged morning. Day Two.