The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Kings 3English
1 Bomambo 3African Kalanga
- English1
Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.
African KalangaSolomoni kashingidzana na Faro mambo we Egipiti ngo lobola nkololokadzi uwe. Wakan'gadza mu nzi nkulu wa Dafite kudzina epedza baka ng'umba iye ne ng'umba ya Yahwe ne luswingo gwakabakilila Jerusalema.
- English2
The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord.
African KalangaBathu bakabe bepisila zwibhayilo mu magalo akatuthumala, ngobe kwakabe kusathu kukabakwa ng'umba kukudza zina la Yahwe.
- English3
Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.
African KalangaSolomoni wakabe eda Yahwe, etobela milayo ya tate babe Dafite, koga naiyebo wakabe episila zwibhayilo ne motsha unonuwha zwinozipa mu magalo akatuthumala.
- English4
The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
African KalangaMambo kayenda ku Gibiyoni kanopisila zwibhayilo ko, ngobe gwakabe guli igo bugalo gwakatuthumala gwakabe gutolegwa pezhugwi kwazo. Solomoni wakabe egala edusila Yahwe zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa zwili tjiwulu (1 000) mu tjibeso itjetjo.
- English5
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
African KalangaKukati Solomoni ali ku Gibiyoni Yahwe bakazwilakidza kunli nge mawoloto kuli busiku, ngono Ndzimu ukandwa ukati, “Kumbila tjaunoda kuti ndikupe itjo.”
- English6
Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
African KalangaNgono Solomoni kadabila eti, “Makalakidza ludo bukulu kakale gusingazunguzike muna tate bangu nlanda wenyu Dafite, ngobe bakabe begalikabgwe mu muli nge ndulamo, nenge moyo wakadzikama mu muli. Ngono makabalondolodzela ludo igogu bukulu kakale gusingazunguzike, mukabapa nkololo kubagala thaka nasi mu tjigalo tjabo tje bushe.
- English7
“Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.
African KalangaNgono ngwenu, imwi Yahwe Ndzimu wangu, makathama imi nlanda wenyu abe mambo agala thaka tate bangu Dafite, nenguba ndili ntjetjana, ndili mwana ntukununu, ndisathu aziba kunodwiwa ne kunoyendiwa.
- English8
Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
African KalangaNlanda wenyu upakati kwe bathu benyu bamakashalula, itjaba tjikulu, tjina bathu banjinji basingabalike.
- English9
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
African KalangaNdizo ngwenu ipani nlanda wenyu nkumbulo unowhisisa kubusa bathu benyu, kuti ndithubukanye ndulamo ne mbipo, kusakajalo ndiani ungatubula kubusa itjaba itjetji tjenyu tjikulu zwingapa kene?”
- African Kalanga
Tetshi bakashathila tjakumbigwa ndi Solomoni.
- English11
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice,
African KalangaNgono Ndzimu ukadwa Solomoni ukati, “Ngobe wakumbila itjetji, auzozwikumbilila kupaphidzigwa mazhuba e bupenyu kene fumwa, kene lufu gwe zwita zwizo, koga wazwikumbilila whisiso ne kusumikilisa nge ndulamo,
- English12
I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
African Kalangabona, ngwenu ndowothama kuyendidzana ne dama lilo. Ndowokupa butjenjedu ne kuwhisisa, kusina mmwe nthu wakatongofanana nawe kene unowozwagwa unonga iwe.
- English13
Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for–both riches and honor–so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
African KalangaKakale ndowokupa tjimwe tjausakumbila. Ndowokupa fumwa ne gudzo mu butjilo gugo gose kupinda bomambo bamwe.
- English14
And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”
African KalangaNgono ha ungatobela zila dzangu, ukalondolodza milayo yangu, sekwakabe kuyenda tate babo, ndowokupaphidzila mazhuba e bupenyu.”
- English15
Then Solomon awoke–and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.
African KalangaNgono Solomoni kamuka mu whope kawana abe ewolota. Ipapo kazha mu Jerusalema, kama mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe, kayisa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ne zwipo zwe mbakisano. Kudwa ipapo kathamila balanda babe bose nzano.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo kukazha fukula mbili kuna mambo, dzikama mbeli kukwe,
- English17
One of them said, “My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me.
African Kalangangono mmwe wabo kati kunli, “Tetshi wangu, togala mu ng'umba ing'ompela imi ne nkadzi iwoyu, ngono ndakatshibama ndinaye mu ng'umba.
- English18
The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.
African KalangaKukati mu zhuba le butatu shule kwe ndisinowana mwana, nkadzi iwoyu na iyebo katshibama, ngono takabe tili babili koga, kusina mmwe watakabe tinaye mu ng'umba.
- African Kalanga
Ngono busiku mwana we nkadzi iwoyu kafa ngobe mmeyabe bakaizela pezhugwi kukwe.
- English20
So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast.
African KalangaKukati pakati kwe busiku she wangu, nlandakadzi wenyu akayizela, nkadzi iwoyu kamuka, katola mwanangu pawunde nami, kabe enkushika panli, etola mwana uwe wakafa enkushika pa ifuba tjangu.
- English21
The next morning, I got up to nurse my son–and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”
African KalangaKukati ndimuka mangwanana nditi ndomwisa mwana, awana akafa. Koga ndakati ndinlingisisa awana asi iye mwanangu wandakazwala.”
- English22
The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.” But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.
African KalangaKoga iwoyu nkadzi mmwe kati, “Akuzojalo! Mwana mpenyu nge wangu, wakafa nge uwo!” Nkadzi watanga bika ndebo kabe eti, “Akuzojalo! Mwana wakafa nge uwo, mpenyu nge wangu!” Ndizo bakakangazhana mbeli kwa mambo.
- English23
The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
African KalangaIpapo Mambo Solomoni kabe eti, “Mmwe unoti, ‘Mwana unotjila nge wangu, wakafa nge uwo,’ ngono mmwe unoti, ‘Akuzojalo, mwana wakafa nge uwo, unotjila nge wangu.’ ”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo mambo kabe eti, “Mundipe bukanu.” Bukanu gukazhisiwa kuna mambo.
- English25
He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
African KalangaMambo kabe eti, “Palulani mwana iwoyo mpenyu na pakati, ngono mupe mmwe nkadzi limwe gwamu, mmwe mumpe limwe gwamu.”
- English26
The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
African KalangaIpapo nkadzi we mwana wakabe etjila, nge moyo we ludo mu mwana uwe kadwa mambo kati, “Tetshi wangu, musibulaye mwana, mumpe iye ali mpenyu.” Koga uwoyu mmwe kabe eti, “Aatowobe wangu kene uwo, ngaapalugwe na pakati.”
- English27
Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
African KalangaIpapo Mambo Solomoni kashandula eti, “Musibulaye mwana, ipani nkadzi wabika ndebo kutanga, mwana ali mpenyu. Ndiye mme be mwana.”
- English28
When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
African KalangaNgono kukati Baiziraela bose bewha mambo sekwa apedza ndebo ndiko, bakantolela pezhugwi, ngobe babona kuti butjenjedu gwe Ndzimu gwakabe guli munli, kuthama ndulamo.
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.