INTRODUZIONE
“A New World” è il primo libro di Mosè, più noto come la Genesi, raccontato in modo unico. Versi scorrevoli in rima baciata ed un incalzante ritmo trasportano il lettore dalle delizie verdeggianti del Giardino dell’Eden, oltre Noè e l’alluvione e le avventure di Abramo e Isacco, fino all’arrivo di Giuseppe in Egitto e la sua ascesa al potere come braccio destro del Faraone. Uno stile scanzonato ma mai irriverente, porta in vita i personaggi di questa storia biblica e fa di ‘A New World’ una lettura molto piacevole sia per bambini che per adulti.
Per trarre il massimo beneficio dalla traccia audio, si consiglia di fare l’ascolto almeno una volta prima di passare alla lettura del testo.
The
Shechemite
slaughter
[Genesis 33:18]
After some days’ travelling across the desert sand,
Jacob set his foot at last upon his native land.
When he got to Shalem, he stopped outside the town,
It seemed a decent sort of place for them to settle down.
He bought a field from Hamor, a place to pitch his tent,
And put his weary feet up, happy and content.
Then one day, unfortunately, Jacob’s daughter, Dinah,
Went wandering in the fields alone, although she was a minor.
When young Shechem saw her, he thanked his lucky star,
He grabbed her and kissed her, but then he went too far!
When the news reached Jacob, he went right round the bend,
Shechem was old Hamor’s son and should have been a friend.
Two of Jacob’s elder sons were even more upset,
They warned him that the matter was far from over yet.
Hamor tried to calm things down, and told them that his son
Would make amends immediately, and do what must be done.
He said that such a problem would not take much to fix,
If both of them allowed their tribes to marry and to mix.
So Shechem asked for Dinah’s hand, he offered all he had,
And Jacob’s sons arranged a deal to satisfy their dad.
But just a few days later, protected by the night,
They fell upon the Shechemites and killed each man in sight.
Their father, Jacob, was distraught, his tribe was weak and small,
The local people, for revenge, could overthrow them all.
Then the Lord appeared again and spoke in Jacob’s ear,
He said that he would guide him and take away his fear.
He told him to get moving, to head towards Beth-el,
To stop and build an altar there and all would turn out well.
Jacob didn’t hesitate, he went and told his men
The time had come to up their tents and hit the road again.
He said that God had saved them from certain death that day,
And they must build an altar to give him thanks and pray.
He then took all the idols and jewels from his folk,
And buried them, to show his faith, beneath a giant oak.
They all set off immediately, and when the job was done,
God confirmed his promises, each and every one.
It wasn’t long before the tribe was on the road again,
And Rachel had another babe called Benjamin, or Ben.
Sadly Rachel died that day, after Benjie’s birth,
They buried her near Bethlehem beneath a mound of earth.
When Jacob reached his dad at last and kneeled by his side,
Isaac smiled, squeezed his hand, closed his eyes, and died.
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