I read my Spanish/English Bible daily. I have found that it is very difficult to attempt literal English translations of Spanish. An example of the types of sentences I **do not** have trouble with would be this one:

```
Dios, en el principio, creó los cielos y la tierra.

```

I would translate this in English attempting a literal translation first: "God, in the beginning, (he) created (those, the) heavens and the land (earth)."

I **do have trouble** with these types of sentences.

```
Por ejemplo, nunca habría sabido yo lo que es codiciar si la ley no hubiera dicho: «No codicies.»

```

I read it this way: "For example (not, nothing, no one) (having, had) (known) I that which is codified if the law no had said, 'No code (codification, letter of the law)'".

From there I attempt to reform it like this:

"For example, I would have not know what is in the law if the law did not say "No law".

Obviously I'm close but just having a hard time with how to interpret. In English we don't think like this "not having known I". Do I need to read it as it is and learn how to think in Spanish to become fluent?