The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Samuel 7English
1 Samuwele 7African Kalanga
- English1
So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.
African KalangaBalume be Kiriatijearimu bakazha bakatola Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe, bakaliyisa ku ng'umba ya Abinadabu pezhugwi kwe duthu. Ngono bakabiga nkololo uwe, Eleazari kuti atjengete Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe.
- English2
It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord.
African KalangaKudwa mu zhuba lakagadziwa Bhokisi le Tjidumano ku Kiriatijearimu, kwakapinda tjibaka tjilefu lefu, makole ali makumi mabili (20), ngono mu tjibaka tjose itjetji Baiziraela bose bakabe bakabhata belilila Yahwe.
- English3
And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
African KalangaNgono Samuele kadwa Baiziraela bose kati, “Ha mushandukila kuna Yahwe nge mimoyo yenyu yose, makafanila kuti mubigile midzimu ye butaya kutjena namwi na bo Ashitaroti mubaduse pakati kwenyu, muzwipile kushingila Yahwe boga nge mimoyo yenyu yose, ndiko kwabanowomusunungula mu maboko e Bafilisitiya.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Baiziraela bakalashila kutjena midzimu ye bataya yabo bo Bhaale na bo Ashitaroti, bakashingila Yahwe koga.
- English5
Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the Lord for you.”
African KalangaIpapo Samuele kabadwa kati, “Kubunganyilani Baiziraela bose ku Mizipha, ngono ndowomutembezelela kuna Yahwe.”
- English6
When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.
African KalangaNdizo Baiziraela bakakubunganila ku Mizipha bana Samuele ali ntungamili wabo. Ngono Baiziraela bakatjela vula bakaitebulila mbeli kwa Yahwe. Mu zhuba ilelo bakazwinyima zojiwa bakazwileba beti, “Takatjinyila Yahwe.”
- English7
When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.
African KalangaKwakati Bafilisitiya bewha kuti Baiziraela bakakubunganila ku Mizipha, boshe be Bafilisitiya bakayenda benogwa ne Baiziraela. Ngono kwakati Baiziraela bewha ngekwako, bakatja Bafilisitiya.
- English8
They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.”
African KalangaBakadwa Samuele bakati, “Musitongo misa kutitembezelela kuna Yahwe, Ndzimu wedu, kuti batitjidze mu luboko gwe Bafilisitiya.”
- English9
Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
African KalangaNdizo Samuele katola pkhwizana inomwa kaipisa yose ili tjibhayilo kuna Yahwe. Kalilila Yahwe mu bumo gwe Baiziraela, ngono Yahwe bakan'dabila.
- English10
While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.
African KalangaKwakati Samuele atjapisa tjibhayilo, Bafilisitiya bakasedzela bezha kuwobhayana ne Baiziraela. Koga mu zhuba ilelo Yahwe bakadidima nge whi lisi lishoma lakalonga lutjo mu Bafilisitiya ngono bakakundiwa ne Baiziraela.
- English11
The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Car.
African KalangaBalume be Iziraela bakabhuda mu Mizipha bakatatana ne Bafilisitiya, bebabulaya kudzina benoswika pejo ne Bhetikara.
- English12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”
African KalangaNdizo Samuele katola bgwe kalibiga pakati kwe Mizipha ne Jeshana, kalitumila zina eti, “Ebheneza” edwa kuti, “Kwe tjinga Yahwe kwabakadwila betibhatsha.”
- English13
So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israelite territory again. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines.
African KalangaNdizo Bafilisitiya bakakundiwa, ngono bakasitjangine nge ngwa mu ntuthu we Iziraela kakale. Luboko gwa Yahwe gwakabhayana ne Bafilisitiya butjilo gwa Samuele gose.
- English14
The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to her, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
African KalangaMizi yose yakabe yatapiwa ne Bafilisitiya mu Iziraela, yakabgwilizigwa Iziraela kudwa mu Ekironi kunoti ku Gati, Baiziraela bakatola ntuthu wose kupoteleka mizi iyeyo mu maboko e Bafilisitiya. Kukabe ne mbakiso pakati kwe Iziraela ne Baamori.
- African Kalanga
Samuele kabe akatungamila bathu be Iziraela misi yose ye butjilo gugwe.
- English16
From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places.
African KalangaWakabe eti gole ne gole kapoteleka edwa ku Bhetele eyenda ku Giligala ne ku Mizipha egadzanya bathu be Iziraela mu magalo wose iyawa.
- English17
But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also judged Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.
African KalangaIpapo ekoshandukila ku Rama, ngobe kwakabe kuli iko kuna nzi uwe, na ikokobo wakabe ebusaboko. Ngono kabakila Yahwe tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo ikoko.
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.