The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Kings 14English
1 Bomambo 14African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Mu tjibaka itjetjo Abija nkololo wa Jeroboamu kagwala.
- English2
and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there–the one who told me I would be king over this people.
African KalangaJeroboamu kadwa nkadzi uwe kati, “Milika uyende ku Shilo, ngono uambale nge zila yausingawozibgwa ndiyo kuti u nkadzi wa Jeroboamu. Ngono bona, nlebesambeli Ahija uikweno, iye wakati ndakafanila kube mambo we bathu ibaba.
- English3
Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”
African KalangaUyende wakambhatila zwiwunga zwili gumi ne makhekhe ne tjilongo tje butji gwe nyutji. Ukumbile akubudze tjinowoshingikalila nkololo wedu.”
- English4
So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh. Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age.
African KalangaNkadzi wa Jeroboamu kathama sekwa adwiwa nge nlume uwe, kamilika kayenda ku Shilo ku nzi wa Ahija. Ipapo Ahija wakabe asingabone, ngoti mesho awe akabe atjipofupala ngobe akwegula.
- English5
But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakadwa Ahija bakati, “Nkadzi wa Jeroboamu waswika kuwhokubhuzwa ngekwe nkololo uwe, ngoti unogwala. Ngono umbudze woku na woku.” Wakati eswika kazwithama mmwe nkadzi upoga.
- English6
So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news.
African KalangaKoga kati eswika pa nkoba, Ahija kawha nsindo we makumbo awe, kandwa kati, “Ngina, iwe nkadzi wa Jeroboamu. Apa ini uzwithama mmwe nkadzi upoga kene? Ndatumwa ku kuli kukubudza thawu dzinolema.
- English7
Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel.
African KalangaYenda unobudza Jeroboamu uti, ‘Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati bakakutola pakati kwe Baiziraela bakakumilidza bakakuthama mbusi we bathu babo Baiziraela,
- English8
I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes.
African Kalanga“Ndakapalalanya mbuso mu nsha wa Dafite akupa iwo. Koga auzofanana na Dafite nlanda wangu, wakabe elondolodza milayo yangu, enditobela nge moyo uwe wose, ethama ndulamo koga mbeli kwangu.
- English9
You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back.
African KalangaKoga iwe wakandilamba, wakanditanga undilonga bushongola, ngothama mbipo kupinda bose bakabusa mbeli kuko, ubuya uzwithamila midzimu ipoga ye zwifano kuinamata.
- English10
“ ‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel–slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone.
African KalangaNdizo bona, ndozhisa mbipo mu ng'umba ya Jeroboamu, ndowolobesa bana bose babo be tjilume, bose bamu busungwa ne bakasununguka. Ndowobalobesa se nthu episa dokonobe litshwa lilota.
- English11
Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’
African KalangaMmwe ne mmwe we nsha wa Jeroboamu unowofila mu nzi nkulu unowojiwa nge mbgwa, mmwe ne mmwe wafila ku shango unowojiwa nge magola, koleba imi Yahwe.” ’
- African Kalanga
“Tjimilika uyende ku nzi uwo. Kowoti ulonga gumbo mu nzi nkulu, mwana unowobe efa.
- English13
All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.
African KalangaNgono Baiziraela bose banowonlilila, bebuya bembiganya. Ngoti ndiye ega unowobiganyiwa, ngobe mu nsha wa Jeroboamu, ndiye ega unowang'wa tjimwe munli tjinoshathisa Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela.
- English14
“The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now.
African KalangaShule kwa ikoko Yahwe banozwimusila mambo unowobusa Iziraela, unowozhisa bhelelo mu mbuso wa Jeroboamu kudwa ngwenu, naiko ngwenu wali.
- English15
And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the Lord to anger by making Asherah poles.
African KalangaYahwe banowoloba Iziraela, kwainowozunguzika se lushanga guli mu vula. Banowodzikunula Iziraela mu shango iyeyi yakanaka yabakapa bobatategulu babo, bakaipaladzila seli kwe Gwizi gwe Yufuratesi, ngobe bakalonga Yahwe bushongola ngozwithamila ndzimukadzi we Asherimu.
- English16
And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
African KalangaYahwe banowolasha Iziraela ngekwe zwibi zwa Jeroboamu, zwaakathama kabuya kakwebela Iziraela mu kuzwithama.”
- English17
Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died.
African KalangaNdizo nkadzi wa Jeroboamu kamilika kayenda ku Tireza. Ngono kwakati koga etshamba pa itubhu tje ng'umba, mwana kabe efa.
- English18
They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.
African KalangaBaiziraela bose bakagalila mwana tjililo, bebuya bembiganya, kuyendidzana ne dama la Yahwe labakadwa nlebesambeli Ahija.
- English19
The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
African KalangaMimwe mishingo ya Jeroboamu ne ngwa dzaakagwa ne sekwa akabusa, yose yakakwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe Zwiyitikalo zwa Bomambo be Iziraela kene?
- English20
He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his fathers. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.
African KalangaJeroboamu wakatola makole ali makumi mabili ana ali mabili (22) ebusa. Akafa, katobela botate babe, ngono nkololo uwe Nadabu kan'gala thaka mu bumambo gugwe.
- English21
Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.
African KalangaRehoboamu wakabusa mu Juda, ana makole ali makumi manna ana gole lili ling'ompela (41). Wakabusa makole ali gumi lina kutendeka mu nzi nkulu Jerusalema, nzi wakabe Yahwe bazwishalulila iwo mu njudzi dzose dze Iziraela, kubiga zina labo muuli. Zina la mmeyabe lakabe liyi Naama bali N'ammoni.
- English22
Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done.
African KalangaBajuda bakathama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe, Yahwe bakazhala bushongola ngekwe zwibi zwabo zwabakathama kupinda zwakatongo thamwa ndi bobatategulu babo.
- English23
They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.
African KalangaNgoti naibo bo bakazwibakila magalo a pezhugwi e kunamata pezhugwi kwe duthu limwe ne limwe lefu ne zwifano zwe Ashera kusi kwe ntutshi we nti mmwe ne mmwe.
- English24
There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
African KalangaKakale kwakabe kuna balume bakabe bezwitengesela kuwalilana mu magalo e kunamata midzimu ipoga mu shango. Bakathama zose zwinoshimisa zwakabe zwithamiwa nge zwitjaba zwakatatiwa mu shango ndi Yahwe mbeli kwe Baiziraela.
- African Kalanga
Mu gole le bushanu Mambo Rehoboamu ebusa, Mambo Shishaki we Egipiti kanginilila Jerusalema.
- English26
He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.
African KalangaKatola fumwa yose mu ng'umba ya Yahwe ne mu ng'umba ye bumambo, nenge zwiviko zose zwe golide zwakabe zwathamwa ndi Solomoni.
- English27
So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.
African KalangaNgono mu bumo gwazo Rehoboamu kathama zwiviko zwe phangula kazwipa balisi be mikoba ye ng'umba ye bumambo.
- English28
Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.
African KalangaKwakabe kuti mambo angina mu ng'umba ya Yahwe, balindi bebe bezwitola, eti abhuda bezwibgwiliza ku ng'umba ye bulindi.
- English29
As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
African KalangaApa mimwe mishingo ya Rehobhuamu aizokwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe Zwiyitikalo zwa Bomambo be Juda kene?
- African Kalanga
Kwakadwilila kube ne ngwa pakati kwa Rehoboamu na Jeroboamu.
- English31
And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.
African KalangaNgono Rehoboamu wakafa katobela botate babe, kabiganyiwa pakabiganyiwa botate babe mu nzi nkulu wa Dafite. Zina la mmeyabe lakabe liyi Naama bali N'ammoni. Nkololo wa Rehoboamu, Abijamu kan'gala thaka mu bushe gugwe.
Source: The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible, Ndzimu-unami Emmanuel Moyo, 2026. This online edition was extracted and reformatted from the PDF edition. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.