The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Kings 16English
1 Bomambo 16African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Dama la Yahwe likazha kuna Jehu nkololo wa Hanani ngekwa Bhaasha liti,
- English2
“I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins.
African Kalanga“Ndakakumilidza wabe uli nthu upasi, akubiga mbusi we bathu bangu Baiziraela, koga ukatshamba mu gumbo la Jeroboamu, ukathama bathu bangu kuti bathame zwibi, bakandithama azhala bushongola ngekwe zwibi zwabo.
- English3
So I am about to consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat.
African KalangaNdizo wali ndowopaladza Bhaasha ne ludzi gugwe, sekwa ndakathama ludzi gwa Jeroboamu nkololo wa Nebati.
- English4
Dogs will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.”
African KalangaMmwe ne mmwe we ludzi gwa Bhaasha unowofila mu nzi nkulu unowojiwa nge mbgwa, ngono wafila mu shango unowojiwa nge magola.”
- English5
As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
African KalangaApa mimwe mishingo ya Bhaasha yaakashinga ne masimba awe azwizokwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe Zwiyitikalo zwa Bomambo be Iziraela kene?
- English6
Baasha rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. And Elah his son succeeded him as king.
African KalangaNgono Bhaasha kafa katobela botate babe, ngono kabiganyigwa ku Tireza. Nkololo uwe Ela kan'gala thaka mu bumambo.
- English7
Moreover, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger by the things he did, and becoming like the house of Jeroboam–and also because he destroyed it.
African KalangaKakale dama la Yahwe likazha nge nlebesambeli Jehu nkololo wa Hanani ngekwa Bhaasha ne ludzi gugwe, ngobe bakathama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe, kufanana ne ludzi gwa Jeroboamu, Yahwe bakazhala bushongola, bakabuya bakalobesa ludzi gwa Jeroboamu.
- English8
In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.
African KalangaMu gole le bumakumi mabili ana ali tathatu Asa ali mambo we Juda, Ela nkololo wa Bhaasha katangisa kubusa Iziraela mu Tireza, ngono kabusa makole ali mabili.
- English9
Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah.
African KalangaZimiri mmwe we makombgwa awe, nlauli we gwamu limwe le koloyi dzidze dze ngwa, kathama nlangano ngekwa Ela. Kukati limwe zhuba ku Tireza, Ela kabe eng'wa elaladza ali mu ng'umba ya Areza, nlauli we ng'umba ye bumambo.
- English10
Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.
African KalangaZimiri kangina mu ng'umba kaloba Ela kambulaya, kabe engala thaka mu bumambo gugwe. Kuthu ikoko kwakashingikala mu gole le bumakumi mabili ana ali kutendeka Asa ali mambo we Juda.
- English11
As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family. He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend.
African KalangaKukati atjambo tola tjigalo tje bumambo, kabulaya bose be ludzi gwa Bhaasha. Kasitongo nsiyila nakuto lili limbelimbe ling'ompela le gamu lile kene nzwalani uwe.
- English12
So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu–
African KalangaNdiko Zimiri sekwa akalobesa ludzi gose gwa Bhaasha, kuyenda nge dama lakalebgwa ndi Yahwe ngekwa Bhaasha batuma nlebesambeli Jehu,
- English13
because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
African Kalangangekwe zwibi zwakathamiwa ndi Bhaasha ne ngekwe zwe nkololo uwe Ela, bebuya bethama kuti Iziraela ithame tjibi, kwakathama kuti Yahwe bazhale bushongola ngekwe midzimu yabo yakabezhiwa.
- English14
As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
African KalangaApa mimwe mishingo ya Ela na zose zwaakathama azwizokwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe Zwiyitikalo zwa Bomambo be Iziraela kene?
- English15
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon, a Philistine town.
African KalangaMu gole le bumakumi mabili ana ali kutendeka (27) Asa ali mambo we Juda, Zimiri wakabusa Iziraela mazhuba ali kutendeka ali mu Tireza. Ipapo babhayani be Iziraela bakabe bakalingisana nge kunginilila Gibethoni, nzi we Bafilisitiya.
- English16
When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp.
African KalangaKukati babhayani bewha kuti Zimiri wakathama nlangano ngekwa mambo kabuya kambulaya, ipapo mu zhuba ilelo, Iziraela yose ikatola nlauli we babhayani Omiri ikambiga mambo we Iziraela.
- English17
Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah.
African KalangaNdizo Omiri ne babhayani bose be Iziraela bakabhuda mu Gibethoni bakanokomba Tireza kuyinginilila.
- English18
When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died,
African KalangaKukati Zimiri ebona kuti nzi nkulu watapiwa, kangina mu matizhilo mu ng'umba ye bushe kaipisa ngono katshwilabo mukati kafa.
- English19
because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in the sin he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.
African KalangaIkoku kwakashingikala ngekwe zwibi zwaakathama, etshamba mu gumbo la Jeroboamu, ethama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe nge zwibi zwizwe nenge kuthama Iziraela kuti ithamebo tjibi.
- English20
As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
African KalangaApa mimwe mishingo ya Zimiri ne milangano yaakathama azwizokwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe Zwiyitikalo gwa bomambo be Iziraela kene?
- English21
Then the people of Israel were split into two factions; half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king, and the other half supported Omri.
African KalangaIpapo bana be Iziraela bakathubukana bakabe makwamu mabili. Gwamu limwe lakabe lishaka kubiga Tibini nkololo wa Ginathi kube mambo, limwe lishaka kubiga Omiri.
- English22
But Omri’s followers proved stronger than those of Tibni son of Ginath. So Tibni died and Omri became king.
African KalangaKoga batobeli ba Omiri bakakulila ba Tibini nkololo wa Ginati. Tibini kabe efa, ngono Omiri kabigwa mambo.
- English23
In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned twelve years, six of them in Tirzah.
African KalangaMu gole le bumakumi matatu ana ling'ompela (31) Asa ali mambo we Juda, Omiri katangisa kube mambo we Iziraela ali mu Tireza. Ngono kabusa makole ali gumi lina mabili.
- English24
He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city on the hill, calling it Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the former owner of the hill.
African KalangaKatenga Dombo le Samariya nge maloso e siliva ali zwiwulu zwili tathatu (6 000) mu nlume wakabe kuyi Shemeri. Omiri kabakilila dombo nge luswingo, kabaka nzi nkulu pezhugwi kwe dombo ilelo, kaudana eti, Samariya, eudana nge zina la Shemeri, wakabe ali mweni we dombo kutanga.
- African Kalanga
Omiri kathama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe, yakapinda mbipo dzose dze bakabusa mbeli kukwe.
- English26
He walked in all the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit, so that they provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger by their worthless idols.
African KalangaNgoti wakatshamba mu gumbo la Jeroboamu nkololo wa Nebati ne mu zwibi zwaakathama kuti Iziraela ithamebo tjibi, ngothama kuti Yahwe bazhale bushongola ngekwe midzimu yabo yakabezhiwa.
- English27
As for the other events of Omri’s reign, what he did and the things he achieved, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
African KalangaApa mimwe mishingo ya Omiri yaakathama ne kube ne tjilopa kwaakalakidza, azwizokwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe Zwiyitikalo gwa Bomambo be Iziraela kene?
- English28
Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
African KalangaOmiri kafa katobela botate babe, ngono kabiganyiwa mu Samariya. Ahabu nkololo uwe kan'gala thaka mu bushe gugwe.
- English29
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.
African KalangaMu gole le makumi matatu ana ali zhanakadzi (38) Asa ali mambo we Juda, Ahabu nkololo wa Omiri katangisa kubusa Iziraela ali mu Samariya. Ngono Ahabu nkololo wa Omiri wakabusa Iziraela ali mu Samariya makole ali makumi mabili (20).
- African Kalanga
Ngono Ahabu nkololo wa Omiri kathama mbipo mbeli kwa Yahwe kupinda bose bakabusa mbeli kukwe.
- English31
He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.
African KalangaNgono se kwakabe kuli kulelu munli kuthama zwibi sekwakathama Jeroboamu nkololo wa Nebati, kalobola Jezebele nkololokadzi wa Ethibhaala mambo we Basidoni, kabuya kanoshingila Bhaale, ebe ennamata.
- African Kalanga
Kathamila Bhaale tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo mu ng'umba ya Bhaale ye kunamata, yaakambakila mu Samariya.
- English33
Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
African KalangaAhabu kabiga ndzimukadzi Ashera. Wakathama kunopinda kose kwakathamiwa nge bakabusa mbeli kukwe, kwakathama kuti Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela bazhale bushongola.
- English34
In Ahab’s time, Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho. He laid its foundations at the cost of his firstborn son Abiram, and he set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua son of Nun.
African KalangaHiele we Bhetele wakati mu mazhuba e kubusa kukwe kabaka Jerikho. Wakati atjateya thiwa dzawo kafigwa nge mbano iye Abiramu, kati atjabaka mikoba kafigwa nge kologwe tjitje Segubu, kuyendidza nge dama la Yahwe labakaleba batuma Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni.
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.