The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Kings 19English
1 Bomambo 19African Kalanga
- English1
Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
African KalangaAhabu kabudza nkadzi uwe Jezebele tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakathamwa ndi Elija, nenge sekwa akabulaya balebesambeli ba Bhaale nge thumo.
- English2
So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
African KalangaIpapo Jezebele katuma ntumwa kuna Elija kunon'dwa eti, “Dzene midzimu ingandiloba ipaphulula, ha kungati mangwana nge tjibaka itjetji abe ndisakubulayabo sekwa wakabulaya balebesambeli.”
- English3
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
African KalangaElija katja, kamilika katizhila ku Bheerisheba umu Juda ne nlanda uwe. Kasiya nlanda uwe ko.
- English4
while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
African KalangaElija wakayenda mu tjilambanyika zhuba lose, kaswika pa nsu kagala mu ntutshi wawo, katembezela eti, “Ngwenu kwatjilizana, Yahwe, dusani butjilo gwangu ngoti anditoyita pana botate bangu!”
- English5
Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.”
African KalangaKalala pasi mu ntutshi we nti, ngono tjinyolotjo ntumwa we Ndzimu ukankutha ukandwa ukati, “Muka uje.”
- English6
He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
African KalangaNgono kati elinga kabona tjiwunga tjakagotjiwa pa masimbe ne hajana ye vula ku misholo iye. Ngono katola tjiwunga kaja, kang'wa vula, kayizela kakale.
- English7
The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”
African KalangaNgono ntumwa wa Yahwe kazha kammusa gwe bubili kandwa kati, “Muka uje, ngoti gwendo gowokukulila.”
- English8
So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
African KalangaElija kamuka kaja kang'wa, zojiwa zwikampa simba kayenda siku ne sikati mazhuba ali makumi manna (40) kunoti ku Horebu, Dombo le Ndzimu.
- English9
There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
African KalangaIpapo kangina mu guwu, kagala mukati busiku gose. Ngono bonani, dama likadwa kuna Yahwe likambhuzwa liti, “Elija, unothamani ipapa?”
- English10
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
African KalangaKashandula eti, “Ndakagwa fupa ngekwa Yahwe, Ndzimu Masimbawose, ngoti bana be Iziraela bakabe balasha tjidumano tjenyu, bakapkhwanya zwibeso zwenyu zwe zwibhayilo bebuya bebulaya balebesambeli benyu bose nge thumo. Ngono ndimi ndoga ndakasala pafa, ngono banoshaka kundibulaya!”
- English11
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
African KalangaYahwe bakadwa Elija bakati, “Bhuda unoma pezhugwi kwe dombo mbeli kwangu.” Ipapo Yahwe bakapinda, ngono phepo isishoma ikazha nge masimba ikatjakanyula shongwe mbeli kwabo, koga Yahwe bakabe basi mu phepo, ngono shule kwe phepo, kukabe ne kutengenyeka kwe shango, koga Yahwe bakabe basi mu kutengenyeka kwe shango.
- English12
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
African KalangaShule kwe kutengenyeka kwe shango, kukabe moto, koga Yahwe bakabe basi mu moto. Ngono shule kwe moto kukabe whi dukununu lakadzikama.
- English13
When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
African KalangaNgono Elija kati ewha whi kazwizwimba buso nge hazu iye kabhuda kanoma pa nkoba we guwu. Ipapo whi likazha kunli liti, “Elija, unothamani ipapa?”
- English14
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
African KalangaNgono kadabila eti, “Ndakagwa fupa ngekwa Yahwe, Ndzimu Masimbawose ngoti bana be Iziraela bakalasha tjidumano tjenyu, bakapkhwanya zwibeso zwenyu bebuya bebulaya balebesambeli benyu nge thumo. Ndimi ndoga ndakasala pafa, ngono banoshaka kundibulaya.”
- English15
The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.
African KalangaYahwe bakandwa bakati, “Yenda, shandukila ku tjilambanyika tje Damasiko, unowoti uswikako ukazhodza Hazaele kube mambo we Aramu.
- English16
Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.
African KalangaUbe uzhodza Jehu nkololo wa Nimishi kube mambo we Iziraela. Kakale uzhodze Elisha nkololo wa Shafati we Abelimehola kube nlebesambeli mu bumo gugo.
- English17
Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.
African KalangaNgono unowopudzumuka mu thumo la Hazaele unowobulawa ndi Jehu, unowopudzumuka mu thumo la Jehu Elisha unowombulaya.
- English18
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel–all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”
African KalangaNenguba kwakajalo ndowosiya bathu bali zwiwulu zwili kutendeka 7 000 mu Iziraela betjila basakatongo thigamila kene kuli kuputa Bhaale.”
- English19
So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.
African KalangaNdizo Elija kabhuda ipapo kanowana Elisha nkololo wa Shafati elima. Kwakabe kuna zwipani zwili gumi lina tjing'ompela (11) mbeli kukwe, Elisha iye elima nge tje bugumi lina zwibili (12). Elija kapinda pana Elisha kambula tjiambalo tjitje katjiambadza Elisha.
- English20
Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
African KalangaNgono Elisha kasiya ng'ombe kalabuka shule kwa Elija ngono kandwa kati, “Imani ndinowoneka mme na tate, ndizo ndikomutobela.” Elija kanshandula eti, “Shandukazo, ndabe ndakuthamani?”
- English21
So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.
African KalangaNdizo Elisha kasiya Elija kashandukila shule. Kaswika ebhaya mangabe ebe etola majokwe ebesa moto ndiwo, ebe ebhika nyama epa bathu beja. Ndizo ebe emilika etobela Elija kunoshinga ali mbhatshi uwe.
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.