The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
2 Samuel 1English
2 Samuwele 1African Kalanga
- English1
After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.
African KalangaShule kwe lufu gwa Saulo, Dafite asinobuya edwa kukunda Baamaleki, Dafite kagala mazhuba mabili mu Zikilagi.
- English2
On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.
African KalangaKukati mu zhuba le butatu, kukazha nlume edwa ku bukotokelo gwa Saulo, zwiambalo zwizwe zwakapaluka ana mavu mu nsholo. Kukati eswika pana Dafite, kawila pasi nge kunteta.
- English3
“Where have you come from?” David asked him. He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”
African KalangaDafite kambhuzwa kati, “Unodwa ngayi?” Kadabila eti, “Ndatizha asiya ku bukotokelo gwe Iziraela.”
- English4
“What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.” He said, “The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”
African KalangaDafite kati kunli, “Apa kwayenda tjini kene? Undibudze!” Kadabila eti, “Babhayani batizha ku ngwa, ngono bathu banjinji bawa bafa. Kose na Saulo ne nkololo uwe Jonatani bafabo.”
- English5
Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”
African KalangaDafite kabhuzwa nzhuzha wambikila eti, “Waziba tjini kuti Saulo ne nkololo uwe Jonatani bafa?”
- English6
“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him.
African KalangaNzhuzha kadabila eti, “Kwakashingikala kuti ndibe ndili pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Gilibhowa, ipapo awila Saulo akanaila thumo lile, koloyi dze ngwa ne batathi be mbizi bakabe bantatamila bansedzelela.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo katjebuka kandibona, kabe endidana, adabila nditi, ‘Tetshi.’
- African Kalanga
Kandibhuzwa eti, ‘Ndiwe ani?’ Ndakan'dabila nditi, ‘Ndi N'amaleki.’
- English9
“Then he said to me, ‘Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’
African KalangaIpapo kandidwa kati, ‘Izha ngeno, undibulaye, ndimu zwibhayo zwe lufu, ngono meya yangu inolambila mundili.’
- English10
“So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”
African KalangaNdizo ndakama panli ambulaya, ngobe ndakaziba kuti aangatjile shule kwe asinowa. Ndakatola tjiala tje bushe mu nsholo uwe ne linga lakabe lili mu luboko gugwe, ngono ndazha nazo kuna tetshi wangu.”
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Dafite kabhata zwiambalo zwizwe kazwipalula ne balume bose baakabe anabo bakathamabo beijalo.
- English12
They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
African KalangaBakabe mu tjililo, bakalila, kakale bakazwinyima zojiwa kunoswika madekwana belilila Saulo ne nkololo uwe Jonatani ne bathu ba Yahwe ne ng'umba ye Iziraela, ngobe bakabe bawa nge thumo.
- English13
David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite,” he answered.
African KalangaDafite kadwa nzhuzha wambikila eti, “Unodwa ngayi?” Kadabila eti, “Imi ndi mwana we ntaya, ndi N'amaleki.”
- English14
David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”
African KalangaDafite kambhuzwa kati, “Apa ini wakabe usingatje kumilidza luboko gugo kupeleledza nzhodziwa wa Yahwe kene?”
- English15
Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died.
African KalangaIpapo Dafite kadana mmwe we babhayani babe kandwa kati, “Izha ngeno umbulaye.” Kabe enloba enligila pasi ebe efa.
- English16
For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”
African KalangaDafite kati kunli, “Malopa awo abe mu nsholo uwo, ngobe waleba nge nlomo uwo sekwa wathama uti, ‘Ndabulaya nzhodziwa wa Yahwe.’ ”
- African Kalanga
Dafite kamba lumbo gwe tjililo ngekwa Saulo ne nkololo uwe Jonatani.
- English18
and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):
African KalangaKalaula kuti bathu be Juda badiyiwe lumbo gwe dati, bonani gwakakwagwa mu Lukwalo gwa Jashari.
- African Kalanga
“Gudzo lilo, Iziraela, lilele lakafa mu mituthu yakatuthumala! Bahali bawa seni!
- English20
“Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.
African KalangaMusitongo kuleba mu Gati, Musitongo kusumikila mu zila dze Ashikeloni, kungadwa kushathisa bakololokadzi be Bafilisitiya, kungadwa kushathisa bakololokadzi be basakathumbigwa.
- English21
“O mountains of Gilboa, may you have neither dew nor rain, nor fields that yield offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty was defiled, the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.
African Kalanga“Imwi matombo e Gilibhowa, ngakusibe ne khawa kene vula pezhugwi kwenyu, kusibe ne minda ingavung'wa! Ngobe ikweno kwaka temapadziwa tjivikisi tjaanovikisa tje nhali, tjivikisi tja Saulo atjitjowofa tjazhodziwa mafuta ndodwa.
- English22
From the blood of the slain, from the flesh of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
African Kalanga“Kudwa mu malopa e bakabulawa kudwa mu mafuta e bahali nsebe wa Jonatani hauzoshanduka koga, ne thumo la Saulo lakabelisina ngoni.
- English23
“Saul and Jonathan—in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.
African Kalanga“Saulo na Jonatani, badiwa banodika! Mu butjilo ne mu lufu abazotongo thubukana, bakabe bemadzuka kupinda madzu, bakabe bakasima kupinda shumba.
- English24
“O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and finery, who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
African Kalanga“Imwi bakololokadzi be Iziraela lililani Saulo, wakamumbadza ne matyila mashaba, emunakisa, wakanakisa zwiambalo zwenyu nge minakiso ye golide.
- African Kalanga
“Bahali bawa seni pakati kwe ngwa! Jonatani wabulawa ku matuthu.
- English26
I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.
African Kalanga“Ndimu buyendasi nge kuko, gamu langu Jonatani, kukulu kwazo sekwa ndabe ndikuda ndiko, ludo gugo mundili gwabe guli gunotjenamisa, gutjenamisa kupinda ludo gwe betjikadzi.
- African Kalanga
“Bahali bawa seni ne zwibhayano zwe ngwa zwaloba!”
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.