The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Samuel 11English
1 Samuwele 11African Kalanga
- English1
Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
African KalangaNahashi we Ammoni katathila kunokomba Jabeshi we Giliyadi nge ngwa. Ngono balume bose be Jabeshi bakandwa bakati, “Thama tjidumano naswi, ngono towokushingila.”
- English2
But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
African KalangaKoga Nahashi we Ammoni kashandula eti, “Ndowothama tjidumano namwi koga ha ndakopola zhisho le mmwe ne mmwe le luji, kuti ndizo ndizhise kulengudzika mu Iziraela yose.”
- English3
The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”
African KalangaBatungamili be Jabeshi bakandwa bakati, “Mutipe mazhuba ali kutendeka, kuti tilobe lukombo mu Iziraela yose, ngono akusina ungatitjidza, towozwipa mu muli.”
- English4
When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.
African KalangaKwakati batumwa beswika ku Gibiya nzi wa Saulo, betula matama iyawa mu bathu, bose bakamimila belila.
- English5
Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.
African KalangaSaulo wakabe atjaswika edwa ku minda ali shule kwe mangabe awe, ngono kabhuzwa eti, “Bathu bayita tjini abelila wali?” Ndizo bakambudza thawu dzadwa ku bathu be Jabeshi.
- English6
When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.
African KalangaSaulo wakati ewha matama abo, meya ye Ndzimu ikadelukila munli nge masimba, ngono kazhala bushongola bukulu kwazo.
- English7
He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.
African KalangaKatola mangabe mabili, kaatemelela kabe zwitibhutibhu, katumila zwitibhu zwe nyama ku mituthu yose ye Iziraela nge batumwa, eti, “Iye usingowobhuda etobela Saulo na Samuele, ikoku ndiko kunowothamwa mu mangabe awe!” Ndizo kutjisa kwa Yahwe kukawila mu bathu, ngono bakabhuda nge moyo nng'ompela.
- English8
When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
African KalangaKwakati Saulo ebabala ku Bhezeki, bakabe bedwa ku Iziraela bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili mazana matatu (300 000) ne bakabe bedwa ku Juda bali zwiwulu zwili makumi ali kutendeka (70 000).
- English9
They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be delivered.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated.
African KalangaBakadwa batumwa bakabe bazha bakati, “Mudwe balume be Jabeshi we Giliyadi muti, ‘Mangwana nge tjibaka tje zhuba lipisa mowowana sununguko.’ ” Kwakati batumwa beswika bebikila bathu be Jabeshi, bakashatha.
- English10
They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.”
African KalangaBakadwa Baamoni bakati, “Mangwana towozwipa mu muli, ngono mukathama tjamunowobe mubona tjakamunakila.”
- English11
The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
African KalangaTjimuka Saulo kathubukanya balume nge makoko ali matatu. Kwakati nge mazhokuyedza bakangina mu bushanganilo gwe Baamoni bakababulaya kuswikila zhuba lipisa. Ibaba bakatjila bakapalala, kukasibe ne babili bakasala bali bose.
- English12
The people then said to Samuel, “Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring these men to us and we will put them to death.”
African KalangaBathu bakabhuzwa Samuele bakati, “Apa ndiboani bakabe beti, ‘Apa Saulo ungatibusa kene?’ Mutipe ibo kuti tibabulaye.”
- English13
But Saul said, “No one shall be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.”
African KalangaKoga Saulo kati, “Akuna ungabulawa nasi, ngobe nasi Yahwe basunungula Iziraela.”
- English14
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.”
African KalangaNdizo Samuele kadwa bathu kati, “Izhani tiyende ku Giligali tinomusidzila bumambo.”
- English15
So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.
African KalangaNdizo bathu bose bakayenda ku Giligala, ngono bakabiga Saulo mambo mbeli kwa Yahwe. Ipapo bakapisa zwibhayilo zwe mbakisano mbeli kwa Yahwe, ngono Saulo ne Baiziraela bose bakabe ne nzano nkulu, bakashatha kwazo.
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.