Introduction: When God began building the sky and the land

The following article is loosely based, with quite a lot of added content and more detailed observations, on two talks I gave at Temple Emanu-El (Reform Jewish) in Honolulu, Hawai'i in October, 2014 in which I discussed with the synagogue's Seniors' Group and the Saturday morning Torah Study Group my personal views of my work translating the Book of Genesis into the Nawat language. I wish to thank Diane Farkas and Ken Aronowitz for their kind invitations to give these talks and to my audiences for their attention and their generous reception of my presentations. This article is also meant to serve in lieu of an "introductory chapter" to the blog which I hope to develop on this site over the coming year.

WHEN God began building the sky and the land	בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ
the land was not yet arranged darkness over depths wind of God fluttering on the face of the water	וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם
then said God there should be light and there came to be light	וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי-אוֹר
God liked the light God separated light and darkness	וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאוֹר כִּי-טוֹב וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ
the light he called Day and the darkness he called Night night fell, morning dawned, one day	וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לָאוֹר יוֹם וְלַחֹשֶׁךְ קָרָא לָיְלָה וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד