The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Samuel 17English
1 Samuwele 17African Kalanga
- English1
Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.
African KalangaNdizo Bafilisitiya bakakubunganyila babhayani babo ngwa, bakakubunganila ku Soko mu Juda. Bakakotokela mu Efesidamimu, pakati kwe Soko ne Azeka.
- English2
Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.
African KalangaSaulo ne Baiziraela bakakubungana bekotokela mu nkuku we Elaya, bakabumba zwikwata kubhayana ne Bafilisitiya.
- African Kalanga
Bafilisitiya bakabe bali mu limwe duthu, Baiziraela bali mu limwe, bakalonga nkuku pakati kwabo.
- English4
A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.
African KalangaIpapo kukabhuda gwelemba mu mishasha ye Bafilisitiya linoyi Goliati, we ku Gati, we bulefu gungabe thambo dzili thatu.
- English5
He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels;
African KalangaWakabe akaambala whutshe ye phangula mu nsholo, akaambala tjiambalo tje phangula tjinonga ikwapa tje hamba, kulema kwatjo kwakabe kuli shekele dzili zwiwulu zwishanu (5 000) zwe phangula.
- African Kalanga
Mu makumbo awe wakabe ana zwivikisi zwe phangula ne thumo le phangula pakati kwe mathudzi awe.
- English7
His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him.
African KalangaLukombo gwe thumo lile gwakabe gulizana ne lutungo, kulema kwe nsholo we thumo lile kwakabe kuli shekele dzili mazana matathatu (600) e phangula. Nsengi we tjiviki tjitje wakabe akantungamila.
- English8
Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me.
African KalangaWakama kamimilila ku miphatho ye Baiziraela kati, “Apa mabhudilani makazwilulwamisila ngwa kene? Apa anditeli Nfilisitiya imi kene? Imwi amutemuli balanda ba Saulo kene? Muzwishalulile nlume, azhe kundili.
- English9
If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.”
African KalangaHa angatubula gwa nami ebe endibulaya, towobe balanda benyu, koga andingankulila ambulaya, mowobe balanda bedu mukatishingila.”
- English10
Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”
African KalangaNfilisitiya iwoyu kabe eti, “Nasi ndotjotja miphatho ye Iziraela! Mundipe nlume, kuti tibhayane.”
- English11
On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
African KalangaKwakati Saulo ne Baiziraela bose bewha matama e Nfilisitiya iwoyu, bakashweshwana bakatja kwazo.
- English12
Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was old and well advanced in years.
African KalangaDafite wakabe ali nkololo wa Jesi we Nfurati we Bhetelehema mu Juda, wakabe ana bakololo bali zhanakadzi (8). Mu misi ya Saulo wakabe atjikwegula abe ne makole manjinji.
- English13
Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah.
African KalangaBakololo ba Jesi batatu bawhola bakabe batobela Saulo ku ngwa. Awa ndiwo mazina abo, we mbano wakabe eyi Eliabu, etobegwa ndi Abinadabu we butatu eyi Shama.
- African Kalanga
Dafite wakabe ali iye kologwe, bawhola batatu bakatobela Saulo,
- African Kalanga
koga Dafite wakabe egala esiya Saulo enofudza pkhwizi dza tate babe ku Bhetelehema.
- African Kalanga
Kwakabe mazhuba ali makumi manna (40) Nfilisitiya iwoyu ebhuda ema pa lubazhe mangwanana ne madekwana.
- English17
Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
African KalangaJesi kadwa nkololo uwe Dafite kati, “Tolela bakulu babo whomwana ye nkakhwa we mathunde ne zwiwunga zwili gumi, uzwisengele tjinyolotjo ku mishasha ku bakulu babo.
- English18
Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.
African KalangaUtolelanye ne tjatjile dzili gumi unopa nlauli wabo we babhayani bali tjiwulu (1 000). Ubabone bakulu babo, ngono ubhuzwe se kwabanomuka kudwa ku bali.”
- English19
They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.”
African KalangaBakabe bana Saulo, ne balume bose be Iziraela, bali mu nkuku we Ela begwa ne Bafilisitiya.
- English20
Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.
African KalangaDafite wakabinduka kutji mangwanana, akasiya pkhwizi ne nlisi, katola mbuba, kayenda sekwa adwiwa ndi Jesi. Wakaswika ku mishasha ewana babhayani beyenda ku bugwilo, bakalonga mima ye ngwa.
- African Kalanga
Baiziraela ne Bafilisitiya bakabe bali mile bakalingisana zwikwata zwakapinilana.
- English22
David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers.
African KalangaDafite wakasiya ntolo uwe mu maboko e nlindi we thundu, kalabukila ku zwikwata, kanodumilisa bakulu babe.
- English23
As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.
African KalangaWakati atjalebeleka nabo, gwelemba le Nfilisitiya we Gati, linodang'wa Goliati, likabhudila patjena kudwa mu zwikwata zwe Bafilisitiya, kabgwilulula matama awe e mazhuba wose. Ngono Dafite akan’wha.
- African Kalanga
Balume bose be Iziraela bose, bakabe beti abebona nlume iwoyo, bakantshetshemba, bakabe ne kutja kukulu kwazo.
- English25
Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.”
African KalangaBaiziraela bakabe beti, “Apa mombona nlume iwoje kene? Tjoselele wazhila kuwolengudza Iziraela. Nlume ungabulaya Nfilisitiya iwoyu, mambo banowonfumisa kusikushoma, bebuya benlobodza nkololokadzi wabo, kakale ne nsha wa tate babe unowobe ne sununguko mu Iziraela.”
- English26
David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
African KalangaDafite wakabhuzwa babhayani baakabe alimile nabo kati, “Apa nlume unowobulaya Nfilisitiya iwoyu ebuya edusa Iziraela shoni unowoshingigwani kene? Iye ndiye ani, Nfilisitiya iwoyu usakathumbigwa, unolengudza babhayani be Ndzimu unotjila kene?”
- English27
They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”
African KalangaBabhayani bakan'dabila nge whi ling'ompela beti, “Unowotogwa sekwa kungatogwa nlume wabulaya Goliati.”
- English28
When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”
African KalangaNkulu uwe Eliabu kan’wha elebeleka ne babhayani, kan'gwadzila moyo kwazo, kambhuzwa kati, “Wazhilani ngeno, wasiya pkhwizi idzedzije dzisingana naani mu tjilambanyika kene? Ndoziba mazwikudzo awo nenge bukukutu gwe moyo uwo, wazhila iko kuwolingilila ngwa.”
- African Kalanga
Dafite kadabila eti, “Ndathamani sangwenu? Kunlandu kuti ndilebeleke?”
- English30
He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.
African KalangaKatendebuka kalinga ku mmwe, kalebazwe sekwa aleba kutanga, ngono bathu bakan'dabila sekwa adabigwa kutanga.
- African Kalanga
Tjakalebgwa ndi Dafite tjakawhika, tjikabikigwa Saulo, Saulo kantumila bathu bakan'dana.
- English32
David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
African KalangaDafite kadwa Saulo kati, “Kusitongobe ne unopela moyo ngekwe Nfilisitiya iwoyo, nlanda wenyu unonobhayana naye.”
- English33
Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”
African KalangaSaulo kashandula Dafite eti, “Aungatubule kunogwa ne Nfilisitiya iwoyu, ngobe iwe utji mbisana ntjetjana, iye tjinga kwaakabe n'gwi kudwa mu buzhuzha gugwe.”
- English34
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
African KalangaKoga Dafite kadwa Saulo kati, “Nlanda wenyu wagala elisa pkhwizi dza tate babe, ngono shumba kene bhera yabe iti ayazha ikatola pkhwizana mukati kwe pkhwizi,
- English35
I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
African Kalangandoilonda, ndibe ndinogwila pkhwizana ndiidusa mu nlomo wayo, ngono ha ingashandukila kundili, ndoizhwabula nge mavele ayo ailoba aibulaya.
- English36
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
African KalangaNlanda wenyu wakabulaya kose shumba ne bhera, ngono Nfilisitiya iwoyu usakathumbigwa kowonshingikalilabo se tjimwe tjazo, ngobe walengudza babhayani be Ndzimu unotjila.”
- English37
The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
African KalangaDafite kapapha kati, “Yahwe bakanditjidza kudwa mu simba le shumba ne kudwa mu simba le bhira, banonditjidza kudwa mu maboko e Nfilisitiya iwoyu.” Saulo kadwa Dafite kati, “Yendazo, ngono Yahwe babe nawe!”
- English38
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.
African KalangaSaulo kambadza Dafite zwiambalo zwizwe, kambadza jasi le ngwa ne whutshe ye phangula mu nsholo.
- English39
David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.
African KalangaDafite wakashomeka bukanu gwa Saulo pezhugwi kwe zwiambalo zwe ngwa, kagwiso yenda ngono kukakona, ngobe asakazwiwolobela. Ndizo Dafite kadwa Saulo kati, “Andingayende ndakaambala zwithu izwezwi, ngobe andizozwiwolobela.” Ngono kazwiambula.
- English40
Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
African KalangaDafite katola lukombo gugwe nge luboko, kashalula mabgwe e whulungwana ali mashanu mu lukobana, kaalonga mukati kwe whomwana iye, ye nlisi we pkhwizi, kasedzela pejo ne Nfilisitiya, akabhata tjivirimabgwe tjitje nge luboko.
- English41
Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.
African KalangaNge tjibakana Nfilisitiya kasedzela kuna Dafite, ana nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe akantungamila.
- English42
He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.
African KalangaKukati Nfilisitiya elinga Dafite embona, ali mbisananyana, nshaba mbuya, kanthaedza mesho.
- English43
He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
African KalangaNfilisitiya kadwa Dafite kati, “Apa ndi mbgwa imi, kwaunozha kundili nge zwikunyana?” Ngono Nfilisitiya kalonga Dafite bhiso nge zina le midzimu iye.
- English44
“Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
African KalangaKandwa kati, “Zhangeno, nyama iyo ndowoipa manyuni ne zwibandana zwe shango.”
- English45
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
African KalangaKoga Dafite kadwa Nfilisitiya kati, “Unozha kundili wakabhata bukanu ne thumo ne thumonyana, koga imi ndozha ku kuli nge zina la Yahwe Masimbawose, Ndzimu we ngwa dze Iziraela, iwoyu wawa lengudza
- English46
This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.
African KalangaNasi Yahwe banowokulonga mu maboko angu, ndowokuloba akuligila pasi akuthubula nsholo. Nasi zwidumbu zwe ngwa ye Bafilisitiya ndowozwipa nyuni ne zwibandana zwe shango, ngono shango yose inowoziba kuti kuna Ndzimu mu Iziraela.
- English47
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
African KalangaBose ibaba bakakubungana ipapa banoziba kuti Yahwe abatotjidza ne bukanu ne thumo, ngobe ngwa nde ya Yahwe, banothama kuti mose timukunde.”
- English48
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.
African KalangaKwakati Nfilisitiya esedzela kuti anobulaya Dafite, Dafite kalabuka tjinyolotjo kushanganidza.
- English49
Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
African KalangaDafite kalonga luboko mu whomo iye, kadusa bgwe, kalilonga mu tjivirimabgwe, kaposa kaloba Nfilisitiya pa phazha, bgwe likatinyume mu phazha iye, akawila pasi nge phazha.
- English50
So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
African KalangaTjinyolotjo Dafite kakunda Nfilisitiya nge tjivirimabgwe ne bgwe, asina bukanu mu luboko gugwe, kaloba Nfilisitiya kanligila pasi kambulaya.
- English51
David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
African KalangaDafite kalabuka kanoma pa Nfilisitiya, kashomola bukanu mu khata yago kambulaya, kati asinombulaya kanthubula nsholo nge bukanu. Kwakati Bafilisitiya bebona kuti gwelemba lafa, bakatizha.
- English52
Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.
African KalangaBalume be Iziraela ne Juda bakamilika ne mima bakatatana ne Bafilisitiya kunoti ku Gati ne ku mikoba ye Ekironi. Zwitumbu zwe Bafilisitiya zwakabe zwakaandama mu zila ye Shaaraimu kunoti ku Gati ne Ekironi.
- African Kalanga
Baiziraela bakati bedwa kutatana ne Bafilisitiya, bebe betapa thundu yakabe ili mu mishasha yabo.
- English54
David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem, and he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.
African KalangaDafite wakatola nsholo we Nfilisitiya kauyisa ku Jerusalema, koga zwibhayano zwe Nfilisitiya kazwibiga mu nshasha uwe.
- English55
As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “As surely as you live, O king, I don’t know.”
African KalangaKwakati Saulo ebona Dafite ebhuda enoshanganidza Nfilisitiya, kabhuzwa Abineri nlauli we babhayani kati, “Abineri, nzhuzha iwoyu nkololo waani kene?” Abineri kashandula eti, “Ndotuna ne butjilo gwenyu, imwi mambo, anditonziba.”
- African Kalanga
Mambo kandwa kati, “Bhuzwa kuti nzhuzha iwoyu nkololo waani.”
- English57
As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.
African KalangaKukati Dafite ebuya kubulaya Nfilisitiya, Abineri kantola kan'yisa kuna Saulo, Dafite wakabe akabhata nsholo we Nfilisitiya nge luboko.
- English58
“Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him. David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
African KalangaSaulo kambhuzwa kati, “Nzhuzha, unkololo waani kene?” Ngono Dafite kashandula eti, “Ndi nkololo we nlanda wenyu Jesi we Bhetelehema.”
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.