Source: Genesis 1:1–31, Luther Bible 1912 (public domain), text from bibel-online.net. The English verses follow the King James Version (1611, public domain), which is close to Luther here.
Literal: PL = ma, NOT = ne, REQ = vo, QUOTE = re, NEAR = hi, FUT = vi, ALREADY = ti, ALSO = mo, ADV = adverb ending, ADJ = adjective ending. Compounds with hyphens.
Am Anfang schuf Gott Himmel und Erde. Und die Erde war wüst und leer, und es war finster auf der Tiefe; und der Geist Gottes schwebte auf dem Wasser. Und Gott sprach: Es werde Licht! und es ward Licht. Und Gott sah, daß das Licht gut war. Da schied Gott das Licht von der Finsternis und nannte das Licht Tag und die Finsternis Nacht. Da ward aus Abend und Morgen der erste Tag. Und Gott sprach: Es werde eine Feste zwischen den Wassern, und die sei ein Unterschied zwischen den Wassern. Da machte Gott die Feste und schied das Wasser unter der Feste von dem Wasser über der Feste. Und es geschah also. Und Gott nannte die Feste Himmel. Da ward aus Abend und Morgen der andere Tag. Und Gott sprach: Es sammle sich das Wasser unter dem Himmel an besondere Örter, daß man das Trockene sehe. Und es geschah also. Und Gott nannte das Trockene Erde, und die Sammlung der Wasser nannte er Meer. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war. Und Gott sprach: Es lasse die Erde aufgehen Gras und Kraut, das sich besame, und fruchtbare Bäume, da ein jeglicher nach seiner Art Frucht trage und habe seinen eigenen Samen bei sich selbst auf Erden. Und es geschah also. Und die Erde ließ aufgehen Gras und Kraut, das sich besamte, ein jegliches nach seiner Art, und Bäume, die da Frucht trugen und ihren eigenen Samen bei sich selbst hatten, ein jeglicher nach seiner Art. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war. Da ward aus Abend und Morgen der dritte Tag. Und Gott sprach: Es werden Lichter an der Feste des Himmels, die da scheiden Tag und Nacht und geben Zeichen, Zeiten, Tage und Jahre und seien Lichter an der Feste des Himmels, daß sie scheinen auf Erden. Und es geschah also. Und Gott machte zwei große Lichter: ein großes Licht, das den Tag regiere, und ein kleines Licht, das die Nacht regiere, dazu auch Sterne. Und Gott setzte sie an die Feste des Himmels, daß sie schienen auf die Erde und den Tag und die Nacht regierten und schieden Licht und Finsternis. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war. Da ward aus Abend und Morgen der vierte Tag. Und Gott sprach: Es errege sich das Wasser mit webenden und lebendigen Tieren, und Gevögel fliege auf Erden unter der Feste des Himmels. Und Gott schuf große Walfische und allerlei Getier, daß da lebt und webt, davon das Wasser sich erregte, ein jegliches nach seiner Art, und allerlei gefiedertes Gevögel, ein jegliches nach seiner Art. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war. Und Gott segnete sie und sprach: Seid fruchtbar und mehrt euch und erfüllt das Wasser im Meer; und das Gefieder mehre sich auf Erden. Da ward aus Abend und Morgen der fünfte Tag. Und Gott sprach: Die Erde bringe hervor lebendige Tiere, ein jegliches nach seiner Art: Vieh, Gewürm und Tiere auf Erden, ein jegliches nach seiner Art. Und es geschah also. Und Gott machte die Tiere auf Erden, ein jegliches nach seiner Art, und das Vieh nach seiner Art, und allerlei Gewürm auf Erden nach seiner Art. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war. Und Gott sprach: Laßt uns Menschen machen, ein Bild, das uns gleich sei, die da herrschen über die Fische im Meer und über die Vögel unter dem Himmel und über das Vieh und über die ganze Erde und über alles Gewürm, das auf Erden kriecht. Und Gott schuf den Menschen ihm zum Bilde, zum Bilde Gottes schuf er ihn; und schuf sie einen Mann und ein Weib. Und Gott segnete sie und sprach zu ihnen: Seid fruchtbar und mehrt euch und füllt die Erde und macht sie euch untertan und herrscht über die Fische im Meer und über die Vögel unter dem Himmel und über alles Getier, das auf Erden kriecht. Und Gott sprach: Seht da, ich habe euch gegeben allerlei Kraut, das sich besamt, auf der ganzen Erde und allerlei fruchtbare Bäume, die sich besamen, zu eurer Speise, und allem Getier auf Erden und allen Vögeln unter dem Himmel und allem Gewürm, das da lebt auf Erden, daß sie allerlei grünes Kraut essen. Und es geschah also. Und Gott sah alles an, was er gemacht hatte; und siehe da, es war sehr gut. Da ward aus Abend und Morgen der sechste Tag.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Notes (3)
di riva (in the beginning) in the first sentence sets the time; after that there is no time word. For comparison, “The Tower of Babel” uses po throughout.
“Create” = gunene (new + -en-: invent, make something new). This keeps the difference from “make” (bine) in verse 7, which Luther makes as well.
“In the beginning” comes at the end like every time phrase. It could not go first: riva and lavema would stand side by side and merge into “God's beginning”.
God give-name light QUOTE day. and he give-name darkness QUOTE night. evening and morning same-be day first
und nannte das Licht Tag und die Finsternis Nacht. Da ward aus Abend und Morgen der erste Tag.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Notes (3)
“Call, name” = bevamebe, with the new name as a quoted word after re. A quoted short sentence gets the punctuation of the whole sentence after the quotation mark.
Because the quotation ends the sentence, each naming is in a sentence of its own.
Refrain: “Evening and morning are the first day” (lute = to be the same). The ordinal number comes as an adjective after the noun.
God make thing hard, and he separate-make PL water through it. some water be-located under thing hard, and some water be-located on thing hard. and it happen way NEAR
Da machte Gott die Feste und schied das Wasser unter der Feste von dem Wasser über der Feste. Und es geschah also.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
Notes (2)
“The waters which were under the firmament” would need a relative clause (nima je fale mu …). On the object it runs to the end of the sentence and would swallow “from the waters above the firmament”. So: God divides the waters by the firmament. One part is below, one part above.
“And it was so” = su lo nabe folo hi (and it happens so); a refrain as in the original.
God speak QUOTE REQ earth grow-make grass and plant and tree! QUOTE REQ all plant have seed kind it self, and all tree have fruit and seed kind it self! and it happen way NEAR
Und Gott sprach: Es lasse die Erde aufgehen Gras und Kraut, das sich besame, und fruchtbare Bäume, da ein jeglicher nach seiner Art Frucht trage und habe seinen eigenen Samen bei sich selbst auf Erden. Und es geschah also.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Notes (4)
“Bring forth” = dobene (grow + -en-), a new term. “Herb” = bima (plant).
The relative clauses (“yielding seed”, “whose seed is in itself”) have become a sentence of their own: after a list, a relative clause on the first member would swallow all the following members.
“After his kind”: a quantity applies to each single one (nalu bima = every plant). fonova fola lo luti = seed of its own kind; lo luti points to the subject, that is, to each single plant.
Both vo sentences are joined with su; the vo at the start applies to both.
earth grow-make grass and plant and tree. all plant have seed kind it self, and all tree have fruit and seed kind it self. God see, that it good-be
Und die Erde ließ aufgehen Gras und Kraut, das sich besamte, ein jegliches nach seiner Art, und Bäume, die da Frucht trugen und ihren eigenen Samen bei sich selbst hatten, ein jeglicher nach seiner Art. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Notes (1)
As in the original, the verse repeats the command as a report.
God speak QUOTE REQ PL light be-located in sky! QUOTE REQ PL it separate-make day from night, and PL it see-make PL sign and PL time and PL day and PL year!
Und Gott sprach: Es werden Lichter an der Feste des Himmels, die da scheiden Tag und Nacht und geben Zeichen, Zeiten, Tage und Jahre
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Notes (3)
“In the firmament of the heaven” = di goka: since verse 8 the firmament is called goka.
The relative clause (Luther: “which divide …”) is a vo sentence of its own. The vo at the start applies to both main clauses joined with su.
God speak QUOTE REQ many animal live-ADJ be-located in water, and PL bird fly on earth under sky!
Und Gott sprach: Es errege sich das Wasser mit webenden und lebendigen Tieren, und Gevögel fliege auf Erden unter der Feste des Himmels.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Notes (2)
“Living creatures” = vema veli. A relative clause (vema je vele) would not work here: it would take the su sentence after it along with it.
he geda mu goka = above the earth, under the sky: two prepositional phrases.
God new-make PL fish-big and all animal live-ADJ and all bird. all animal have kind it self. God see, that it good-be
Und Gott schuf große Walfische und allerlei Getier, daß da lebt und webt, davon das Wasser sich erregte, ein jegliches nach seiner Art, und allerlei gefiedertes Gevögel, ein jegliches nach seiner Art. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war.
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Notes (3)
whale = fokabira (fish + big), a new term.
“Which the waters brought forth” (the water creatures) is missing from the list: a prepositional phrase di nima in the middle of the list would apply to all following members.
“After their kind” = every animal has its own kind (nalu vema applies to each single one).
God give good-thing to PL it, and he speak QUOTE REQ PL you have many offspring, and PL you fill PL sea! QUOTE REQ PL bird have many offspring in earth!
Und Gott segnete sie und sprach: Seid fruchtbar und mehrt euch und erfüllt das Wasser im Meer; und das Gefieder mehre sich auf Erden.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Notes (2)
“Bless” = give good things, as in “The Star Money”.
“Be fruitful, and multiply” = have many offspring (bure pulu vulisa). bame pulu would not work: a quantity word never stands without a noun.
God speak QUOTE REQ earth make PL animal-house and PL animal-small and PL animal other! QUOTE REQ all animal have kind it self! and it happen way NEAR
Und Gott sprach: Die Erde bringe hervor lebendige Tiere, ein jegliches nach seiner Art: Vieh, Gewürm und Tiere auf Erden, ein jegliches nach seiner Art. Und es geschah also.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
Notes (2)
“Cattle” = vemadova (domestic animals), “creeping thing” = vemisa (small animals), “beast of the earth” (the wild animals) = vema vuluti (the other animals).
God make PL animal other and PL animal-house and PL animal-small. all animal have kind it self. God see, that it good-be
Und Gott machte die Tiere auf Erden, ein jegliches nach seiner Art, und das Vieh nach seiner Art, und allerlei Gewürm auf Erden nach seiner Art. Und Gott sah, daß es gut war.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
God speak QUOTE REQ PL I make PL person! QUOTE PL it same-be FUT picture PL I. QUOTE REQ PL it lead PL fish sea and PL bird sky and PL animal-house and earth whole and all animal-small!
Und Gott sprach: Laßt uns Menschen machen, ein Bild, das uns gleich sei, die da herrschen über die Fische im Meer und über die Vögel unter dem Himmel und über das Vieh und über die ganze Erde und über alles Gewürm, das auf Erden kriecht.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Notes (4)
“Let us” = vo ma mi. God speaks in the plural; that stays.
“In our image, after our likeness” = they will be our image (lute bava ma mi).
“The fish of the sea” = ma foka baga (noun + noun: the fish of the sea). With di baga the preposition would apply to all the following members of the list.
God give good-thing to PL he, and he speak to PL he QUOTE REQ PL you have many offspring, and PL you fill earth, and PL you lead earth and PL fish sea and PL bird sky and all animal-small!
Und Gott segnete sie und sprach zu ihnen: Seid fruchtbar und mehrt euch und füllt die Erde und macht sie euch untertan und herrscht über die Fische im Meer und über die Vögel unter dem Himmel und über alles Getier, das auf Erden kriecht.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Notes (2)
The vo at the start applies to all three main clauses joined with su.
God speak QUOTE REQ PL you see! QUOTE I give ALREADY all plant and all tree to PL you for food PL you. QUOTE all plant have seed, and all tree have fruit
Und Gott sprach: Seht da, ich habe euch gegeben allerlei Kraut, das sich besamt, auf der ganzen Erde und allerlei fruchtbare Bäume, die sich besamen, zu eurer Speise,
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Notes (3)
“Behold” = vo ma tu vese!.
“I have given” = beve ti (already given).
The relative clauses (“bearing seed”, “in the which is the fruit”) form a sentence of their own; after the first member they would swallow the list.
QUOTE and I give ALREADY all plant green to all animal earth and all bird sky and all animal-small for food PL it. and it happen way NEAR
und allem Getier auf Erden und allen Vögeln unter dem Himmel und allem Gewürm, das da lebt auf Erden, daß sie allerlei grünes Kraut essen. Und es geschah also.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
Notes (2)
va applies to all three recipients joined with su.
The quoted sentence starts with su and links up with the previous one.