The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Samuel 18English
1 Samuwele 18African Kalanga
- English1
After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
African KalangaKwakati Dafite asinopedza lebeleka na Saulo, meya dza Jonatani na Dafite dzikawililana, Jonatani kada Dafite sekwa ezwida.
- African Kalanga
Kudwa zhuba ilelo Saulo katola Dafite kagala naye, kasitjan'dumile kubgwilila ku nzi wa tate babe.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Jonatani kathama tjidumano na Dafite, ngobe akabe en'da sekwa ezwida.
- English4
Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
African KalangaJonatani kaambula tjiambalo tjaakabe akaambala katjipa Dafite, kampilanya ne zwiambalo zwizwe zwe ngwa, nenge bukanu gugwe ne dati le nsebe ne mwandabula uwe.
- English5
Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul’s officers as well.
African KalangaTjimwe ne tjimwe tjaakabe etumwa ndi Saulo kutjithama, Dafite wakabe etjitubula, ndizo Saulo kampa mamo apezhugwi mu ngwa. Ikoku kukashathisa bathu bose ne makulukota a Saulo dumbu.
- English6
When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.
African KalangaKwakati bathu babgwilila ku nzi, Dafite asinobulaya Nfilisitiya, bakadzi bakabhuda mu mizi yose ye Iziraela, beshanganidza Mambo Saulo bemba bezana, bemba njimbo dze shatho, belidza thamborini ne laya.
- African Kalanga
Bakabe bezana bemba beti, “Saulo wakabulaya zwiwulu (1 000) zwizwe, ngono Dafite kabulaya zwizwe zwiwulu zwili gumi (10 000).”
- English8
Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”
African KalangaSaulo wakazhala bushongola kwazo, ngobe matama iyawa, akankutha. Kabe eti, “Dafite bampa tjiala tje zwiwulu zwili gumi (10 000), koga imi bendipa tjiala tje tjiwulu (1 000) koga, apa ini tjansalila, akusi kutola mbuso?”
- African Kalanga
Kudwa ipapo kuyenda mbeli, Saulo katjila nge lubengo kuna Dafite.
- English10
The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand
African KalangaKwakati tjimuka meya mibi inodwa ku Ndzimu ikadelukila muna Saulo nge masimba, ikampengesa ali mu ng'umba iye, Dafite elidza harepa sekwa agala ethama mazhuba wose. Saulo wakabe akabhata thumo lile nge luboko.
- English11
and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
African KalangaNgono Saulo kaposa thumo kazwidwa eti, “Ndowobhayila Dafite mu guma.” Koga Dafite kandzeta kabili kose.
- African Kalanga
Saulo wakabe etja Dafite, ngobe Yahwe bakabe bana Dafite, bafupatila Saulo.
- English13
So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns.
African KalangaNdizo Saulo katata Dafite panli, kanthama nlauli we balume bali tjiwulu (1 000), ngono Dafite kayenda, kanobuya akatungamila bathu.
- African Kalanga
Dafite wakabe etubula muna zose zwaakabe eshinga, ngobe Yahwe bakabe banaye.
- African Kalanga
Kukati Saulo ebona sekwa Dafite etubula ndiko, kantja.
- African Kalanga
Koga Baiziraela ne Bajuda bose bakabe beda Dafite, ngobe akabe ebatungamila mu ngwa dzabo.
- English17
Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself, “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”
African KalangaNdizo Saulo kadwa Dafite kati, “Nkololokadzi wangu we mbano Merabhu woyu, ndowokupa iye kabe nkadzi uwo, undishingile nge tjilopa tjakasima kubhayana ngwa dza Yahwe.” Ngobe Saulo wakazwidwa eti, “Anditowommilidzila luboko, Bafilisitiya ndibo banowombulaya.”
- English18
But David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?”
African KalangaDafite kadwa Saulo kati, “Imi ndiani, ne ng'umba ya tate bangu ini, kene nsha wa tate bangu uni mu Iziraela, kwandingadzina abe nkwasha wa mambo kene?”
- English19
So when the time came for Merab, Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
African KalangaKoga kwakati kwatjibe tjibaka tje kuti nkololokadzi wa Saulo Merabhu apiwe Dafite kunlobola, kapiwa Adiriele we Mehola kuti abe nkadzi uwe.
- English20
Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.
African KalangaIpapo nkololokadzi wa Saulo unoyi Mikhali kada Dafite, Saulo kati ebudziwa ngekwako, kukanshathisa.
- English21
“I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”
African KalangaSaulo kazwidwa kati, “Ndowompa iye, ndiye wandinoshingisa kumbhata, kuti Bafilisitiya bambulaye.” Ipapo Saulo kadwa Dafite kati, “Ngwenu wawana zila ye bubili kube nkwasha wangu.”
- English22
Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king is pleased with you, and his attendants all like you; now become his son- in-law.’”
African KalangaSaulo kadwa balanda babe kati, “Lebelekani na Dafite mu ikowha mun'dwe muti, ‘Bona mambo bakakushathila, ne balanda babo bose banokuda, ngwenu tjibe nkwasha wa mambo.’ ”
- English23
They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”
African KalangaBalanda bakabgwilulula matama iyawa kuna Dafite. Ngono Dafite kabadwa kati, “Apa mokumbula kuti kuthu kutukununu kube nkwasha wa mambo kene? Bonani ndi nlume we nshayi usina tjilumbi.”
- African Kalanga
Kukati balanda ba Saulo bembudza tjalebgwa ndi Dafite,
- English25
Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.
African KalangaSaulo kashandula eti, “Mudwe Dafite muti, ‘Mambo akuna tjabanoyemula tje malobolo, kuzhe kwe zana ling'ompela (100) le zwikanda zwa mbeli zwe Bafilisitiya, kuli kuzwibgwilizila kwa mambo mu zwita zwabo.’ ” Saulo eluka maano kuti Dafite abulawe nge Bafilisitiya.
- English26
When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,
African KalangaKwakati balanda ba Saulo bebudza Dafite matama iyawa, kashathila kube nkwasha wa mambo. Tjibaka tje gobe tjitjaduma.
- English27
David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented the full number to the king so that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
African KalangaDafite kamilika ne bathu babe kanobulaya Bafilisitiya bali mazana mabili (200), kabuya ne zwikanda zwabo zwa mbeli, kazwipa mambo zwili mbalo izhele, kuti ndizo abe nkwasha wa mambo. Saulo kapa Dafite Mikhali nkololokadzi uwe kuti anlobole.
- African Kalanga
Kwakati Saulo asinobona kuti Yahwe bana Dafite, ne kuti nkololokadzi uwe Mikhali unon'da,
- African Kalanga
Saulo kadwilila etja Dafite kupinda, kabe tjita tja Dafite misi yose ye butjilo gugwe.
- English30
The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
African KalangaBalauli be babhayani be Bafilisitiya bakadwilila bebhuda beyenda ku ngwa, ngono bakabe beti bebhuda, Dafite kabe ne kutubula kupinda makulukota wose a Saulo, ndizo kabe ne tjilumbi tjikulu 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.