TRANSLATION OF GENESIS CHAPTER ONE FROM ENGLISH INTO JAMAICAN

DIALECT
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Firs, to begin wid, is God did mek eaven and hearth.
2 Now the earth was astonishingly empty, and darkness was on the ace o the
deep, and the spirit o God was hovering over the ace o the water.
Now di hearth did well well hempty, an noh light none at all did deh topside a di
deep, an di spirit a God did a !y ro"n ova di water.
# $nd God said, %et there be light& and there was light.
'en God seh, ()ek light tan ya,* an light did tan deh intermede.
+ $nd God saw the light, that it was good& and God divided the light rom the
daakness.
'en God see seh di light stay good an Im divvy "p di light rom di daakness
, $nd God called the light 'ay, and the darkness he called Night. $nd the evening
and the morning were the -rst day.
$n God call di light (day* an di daakness Im call (night*. $n di hevening an di
mawnin was di "ss day.
. $nd God said, %et there be a -rmament in the midst o the waters, and let it
divide the waters rom the waters.
'en God seh, ()ek s"ppn big an broad de innna di miggle a di wata dem, an mek it
bore between di wata dem.*
/ $nd God made the -rmament, and divided the waters which were "nder the
-rmament rom the waters which were above the -rmament& and it was so.
$n a soh God did mek di big an broad ting an a so Im did mek di wata below di lan
an di wata above di lan, and a soh it did stay.
0 $nd God called the -rmament 1eaven. $nd the evening and the morning were the
second day.
$n God caall the big an broad s"ppn (eaven*. $n di hevenin and di mawnin was di
secon day.
2 $nd God said, %et the waters "nder the heaven be gathered together "nto one
place, and let the dry land appear& and it was so.
$n God seh, ()ek di wata dem onda di eaven b"ngle "p inna one place, an mek di
dry lan pop "p.* $n dat did appen - real.
13 $nd God called the dry land 4arth5 and the gathering together o the waters
called the 6eas& and God saw that it was good.
$n God caall di dry lan 1earth5 an di b"ngle "p wata Im caall di 6ea dem. $n God
did see seh it did good.
11 $nd God said, %et the earth bring orth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the
r"it tree yielding r"it ater his kind, whose seed is in itsel, "pon the earth& and it
was so.
$n God seh, ()ek di hearth grow grass, herb weh grow seed, an r"it trees,* an a
soh it did goh.
12 $nd the earth bro"ght orth grass, and herb yielding seed ater his kind, and the
tree yielding r"it, whose seed was in itsel, ater his kind& and God saw that it was
good.
$n di hearth did grow grass, herb weh grow seed, an r"it trees, an God did see seh
it stay good.
1# $nd the evening and the morning were the third day.
$n di hevenin an di mawnin was did tird day.
1+ $nd God said, %et there be lights in the -rmament o the heaven to divide the
day rom the night5 and let them be or signs, and or seasons, and or days, and
years&
$n God seh, ()ek lights deh de inna di eaven mek wi know day rom night, an mek
dem bi - sign, an - season, an - days an ears.
1, $nd let them be or lights in the -rmament o the heaven to give light "pon the
earth& and it was so.
$n let dem bi - lights inna eaven - shine light pon di hearth, an a soh it set.
1. $nd God made two great lights5 the greater light to r"le the day, and the lesser
light to r"le the night& he made the stars also.
$N God did mek two boss lights5 di bigga boss - r"n tings inna di day, an di
prentice boss - r"n tings inna di night, an a God did mek di star dem tooh.
1/ $nd God set them in the -rmament o the heaven to give light "pon the earth,
$n God p"t di light dem inna eaven - light "p di hearth,
10 $nd to r"le over the day and over the night, and to divide the light rom the
darkness& and God saw that it was good.
$n - r"n tings inna di day an inna di night, an - br"k "p light rom daakness, an
God did see seh it did good.
12 $nd the evening and the morning were the o"rth day.
$n di hevenin an di mawnin was di o"rt day.
23 $nd God said, %et the waters bring orth ab"ndantly the moving creat"re that
hath lie, and owl that may !y above the earth in the open -rmament o heaven.
$n God seh, ()ek di watas ave one mo"nt ah livin ting 7"s a spring "p inna dem, an
owl weh !y inna di sky.
21 $nd God created great whales, and every living creat"re that moveth, which the
waters bro"ght orth ab"ndantly, ater their kind, and every winged owl ater his
kind& and God saw that it was good.
$n God create di big whale dem, and di ting dem wa live an move bo"t, which did
come rom di wata, to each his own, an every owl wid wing, an God did see seh it
tan good.
22 $nd God blessed them, saying, 8e r"it"l, and m"ltiply, and -ll the waters in the
seas, and let owl m"ltiply in the earth.
$n God did bless dem thro"gh Im seh, (8reed "p n"9 n"9, an -ll "p di wata dem,
an let di owl come n"9 n"9 tooh.
2# $nd the evening and the morning were the -th day.
$n di hevenin an di mawnin was di -t day.
2+ $nd God said, %et the earth bring orth the living creat"re ater his kind, cattle,
and creeping thing, and beast o the earth ater his kind& and it was so.
$n God seh, ('i earth a: ave di9erent type a living tings like di cow dem, an di b"g
dem, an di wil hanimal dem.* $n a soh it did goh.
2, $nd God made the beast o the earth ater his kind, and cattle ater their kind,
and every thing that creepeth "pon the earth ater his kind& and God saw that it
was good.
$n a soh God mek di wil hanimal dem, di cow dem, an di b"g dem pon dis ya
hearth. $n God see seh it did good.
2. $nd God said, %et "s make man in o"r image, ater o"r likeness& and let them
have dominion over the -sh o the sea, and over the owl o the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth "pon the
earth.
'en now, God seh, ()ek wi mek man avo"r wi, like how wi stay, an mek dem r"n
tings, wedda it be -sh, bird, cow or anything else pon di hearth.*
2/ 6o God created man in his own image, in the image o God created he him5 male
and emale created he them.
$n a soh God mek man avo"r Im. God mek wi avo"r him. God mek man an God
mek oman.
20 $nd God blessed them, and God said "nto them, 8e r"it"l, and m"ltiply, and
replenish the earth, and s"bd"e it& and have dominion over the -sh o the sea, and
over the owl o the air, and over every living thing that moveth "pon the earth.
'en God bless dem, and seh to dem, (8reed "p, n"9 n"9, an -ll "p everyweh and
conkah everyweh, an noh tek noh backchat rom any -sh, bird, or other living an
moving ting pon di hearth.*
22 $nd God said, 8ehold, I have given yo" every herb bearing seed, which is "pon
the ace o all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the r"it o a tree yielding
seed5 to yo" it shall be or meat.
$n God seh, (1ear mi n"h, child; $ di herb dem an di tree dem an di r"it dem yo"
a go eat like seh a meat.*
#3 $nd to every beast o the earth, and to every owl o the air, and to every thing
that creepeth "pon the earth, wherein there is lie, I have given every green herb
or meat& and it was so.
($n to all di wil animal dem, an di bird dem, an every living ting weh a move ro"n
pon di earth, a herbs y"h a go eat.* $n it set soh.
#1 $nd God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. $nd
the evening and the morning were the si<th day.
$n God did look pon every ting weh Im mek an penny seh it was very good. $n the
hevening come an goh an di mawning come an goh, di si<th day.