The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
2 Kings 22English
2 Bomambo 22African Kalanga
- English1
Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
African KalangaJosiya wakabe ana makole ali zhanakadzi tjibaka tjaakatangisa kubusa, wakabusa makole ali makumi matatu ana gole (31) mu Jerusalema. Zina la mmeyabe lakabe liyi Jedida nkololokadzi wa Adayiya we Bhozikati.
- English2
He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
African KalangaKashinga ndulamo mu mesho a Yahwe ngono katobela zila dzose dza tate babe Dafite, kasipambukile ku luboko gwe luji kene lumeshwe.
- English3
In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said:
African KalangaMu gole le bugumi lina zhanakadzi le mbuso wa Mambo Josiya, mambo bakatuma Shafani nkololo wa Azaliya ali nkololo wa Meshulamu ku Ng'umba ya Yahwe, eti,
- English4
“Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.
African Kalanga“Yenda kuna Hilikiya mpirisiti nkulu a bale mari akazhisiwa mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe, akakubunganyiwa ne balindi be mikoba mu bathu.
- English5
Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord -
African KalangaBaape batungamili bakabigwa be nshingo we Ng'umba ye Ndzimu. Balipe bashingi banomusa Ng'umba ya Yahwe,
- English6
the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.
African Kalangakuli babezhi ne babaki ne babezhi be mabgwe ne kutenga mapango ne mabgwe akabezhiwa ku musa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu.
- English7
But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are acting faithfully.”
African KalangaKoga akutowoshakiwa kuti mari dzabakapiwa dzashinga tjini ngoti banoshinga nge lebeswa.”
- English8
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.
African KalangaHilikiya mpirisiti nkulu kadwa Shafani we nkwalili eti, “Ndawana lukwalo gwe nlayo mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe.” Ngono Hilikiya kapa Shafani lukwalo kagubala.
- English9
Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.”
African KalangaShafani we nkwalili kazha kuna mambo kandwa kati, “Balanda babo badusa mari abe ali mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe ngono baapa batungamili be bashingi be Ng'umba ya Yahwe.”
- English10
Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
African KalangaIpapo Shafani we nkwalili kabudza mambo eti, “Hilikiya we mpirisiti wandipa lukwalo.” Shafani kagubala mbeli kwa mambo.
- African Kalanga
Ngono kukati mambo ewha matama e lukwalo gwe nlayo, kapalula zwiambalo zwizwe.
- English12
He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:
African KalangaIpapo mambo bakadwa Hilikiya we mpirisiti na Ahikamu nkololo wa Shafani na Atjibori nkololo wa Mikaya na Shafani we nkwalili na Asaya nlanda wa mambo kati,
- English13
“Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”
African Kalanga“Yendani munondibhuzwila kuna Yahwe, imi ne bathu ne Juda yose ngekwe matama e lukwalo igogu gwawang'wa, ngoti bushongola gwa Yahwe bukulu gwatiwila, ngobe botate bedu abazolondolodza matama e lukwalo igogu, kushinga kuyendidzana nge tjakakwagwa nge kwedu.”
- English14
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District.
African KalangaNdizo Hilikiya we mpirisiti na Ahikamu na Atjibori na Shafani na Asaya bakayenda kuna Hulida we nlebesambeli we tjikadzi, ali nkadzi wa Shalumu nkololo wa Tikiva ali nkololo wa Harihasi, ntjengeti we zwiambalo, wakabe egala mu Jerusalema mu ntuthu we bubili. Bakalebesana naye.
- English15
She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,
African KalangaNgono kabadwa kati, “Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, ‘Budza balume bakutuma kundili uti,
- English16
‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read.
African KalangaYahwe bakati, “Ndowozhisa mbatsha mu bugalo igogu ne bagali bago, kuyendidzana nge tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakakwagwa mu lukwalo gwabagwa na mambo we Juda.
- English17
Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’
African KalangaNgoti bandifupatila, bapisila midzimu ipoga motsha, kuti bandilonge bushongola nge mishingo yose ye maboko abo, ndizo wali bushongola gwangu gowothutila bugalo igogu ngono agutowodzimiwa.
- English18
Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:
African KalangaKoga ngekwe mambo we Juda wamutuma kuwobhuzwa kuna Yahwe, tjamunowombudza ndiyetji, Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati: Ngekwe matama awawha,
- English19
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.
African Kalangase moyo uwo wakabe nnyolo kakale ukazwiyisa pasi mbeli kwa Yahwe uwha tjandakaleba ngekwe bugalo igogu ne bathu bago, kuti banowobe bhiso ne duluthulu le malala, ukapalula zwiambalo zwizo ukalila mbeli kwangu, namibo ndakuwha, koleba Yahwe.”
- English20
Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” So they took her answer back to the king.
African KalangaNdizo wali bona, ndowokubgwiliza kuna bo tate babo, unowobiganyiwa nge kunyalala. Mesho awo aatowobona mbatsha dzose dzandinowozhisa mu bugalo igogu.’ ” Ndizo bakabgwiliza shandulo kuna mambo.
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.