The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
2 Samuel 11English
2 Samuwele 11African Kalanga
- English1
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
African KalangaKukati mu tjilimo, nge tjibaka tja bomambo bebhuda beyenda ku ngwa, Dafite katuma Joabu ne makombgwa awe ne ngwa yose ye Iziraela. Bakalobesa Baamoni, bebuya bekomba Rabha nge ngwa. Koga Dafite iye wakabe asala ku Jerusalema.
- English2
One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
African KalangaKukati limwe zhuba kuli matewuko Dafite emuka pa bulawo gugwe, kabe eyendayenda pezhugwi kwe denga le ng'umba iye ye bushe. Kati ali pezhugwi kwe ng'umba kabona nkadzi engula, nkadzi mbuya kwazo.
- English3
and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
African KalangaDafite katuma ntumwa kunobhuzwisisa ngekwe nkadzi iwoyo. Kukalebgwa kuyi, “Ndi Bhatisheba nkololokadzi wa Eliamu, nkadzi wa Uriya we Nhiti.”
- English4
Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
African KalangaNdizo Dafite katuma batumwa kunon'dana, nkadzi kazha, Dafite kalala naye. (Bhatisheba wakabe atjadwa mu kuzwitjenapadza shule kwe mazhuba awe e mangulilo.) Shule kwa ipapo kabgwilila ku nzi uwe.
- African Kalanga
Ngono nkadzi kazwisenga katumila dama kuna Dafite eti, “Ndakazwisenga.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Dafite katumila dama kuna Joabu eti, “Tumila Uriya we Nhiti kundili.” Ngono Joabu katumila Uriya kuna Dafite.
- English7
When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.
African KalangaKwakati Uriya eswika kuna Dafite, kambhuzwa kuti Joabu ne babhayani bamuka tjini nenge ngwa kuti inoyenda tjini.
- English8
Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.
African KalangaIpapo Dafite kadwa Uriya kati, “Yenda ku ng'umba iyo, unonyatutuka.” Uriya kadwa mu ng'umba ye bushe kayenda, ngono katobedziwa tjipo ku ng'umba iye tjidwa kuna mambo.
- English9
But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
African KalangaKoga Uriya kayizela pa nkoba we ng'umba ye bushe ne balanda bose ba tetshi uwe, kasitongoyenda ku nzi uwe.
- English10
When David was told, “Uriah did not go home,” he asked him, “Haven’t you just come from a distance? Why didn’t you go home?”
African KalangaKukati Dafite ewha kuti Uriya aazoyenda ku nzi uwe, kambhuzwa kati, “Apa ateiko kwawabe utjaswika wagala usipo, ini usayenda ku nzi uwo kene?”
- English11
Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
African KalangaUriya kashandula Dafite eti, “Balume be Iziraela ne Juda ba mu ngwa ku shango, ne Bhokisi le Tjidumano banalo ikoko na tetshi wangu Joabu ne makombgwa awe bagele mu shango pa liteya njelele. Apa ndingayenda ku nzi wangu ndinoja nding'wa ndibuya ndilala ne nkadzi wangu kene? Ndolebesa ndotuna, se mutjatjila, andingafe ndathama kuthu kwakajalo.”
- English12
Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
African KalangaNdizo Dafite kadwa Uriya kati, “Ushwe ipapa kakale nasi, ngono mangwana ndowokuletja ukabgwililazo.” Ndizo Uriya kashwa mu Jerusalema zhuba ilelo nenge tjimuka.
- English13
At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
African KalangaDafite kankoka kunoja ebuya eng'wa naye, ngono kanlaladzisa, kukati madekwana Uriya kabhuda kanoyizela pa thobo dzidze ne balanda ba tetshi uwe, koga kasitongoyenda ku nzi uwe.
- African Kalanga
Tjimuka mangwanana Dafite kakwalila Joabu lukwalo, kagupa Uriya kunompa igo.
- English15
In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
African KalangaMu lukwalo wakakwala eti, “Mutungamidze Uriya mu ngwa kwainolema kwazo, mube muntshedukila kuti abhaiwe afe.”
- English16
So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were.
African KalangaKukati Joabu ekomba nzi nge ngwa, kadwa Uriya kunongina paakabe eziba kuti zwita zwakasima.
- English17
When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
African KalangaBalume be nzi iwoyo bakabhuda kuwobhayana na Joabu, bamwe be babhayani, balanda ba Dafite bakafa na Uriya we Nhiti kabulawabo.
- African Kalanga
Joabu wakatuma ntumwa kunobudza Dafite nge buzhalo ngekwe ngwa.
- English19
He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle,
African KalangaKadwa ntumwa kati, “Ha usinopedza kubudza mambo thawu dzose ngekwe ngwa,
- English20
the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?
African Kalangaha mambo bangazhala bushongola, ha bangakubhuzwa beti, ‘Ini makangina kusi kwe nzi kwazo kugwa? Apa makabe musingazibe kuti banowoposa misebe betjuludza guma kene?
- English21
Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”
African KalangaApa ndiyani wakabulaya Abimeleki nkololo wa Jerubesheti kene? Apa nkadzi azoposa gwiyo katjuludza guma likan'wila, kabe efa ku Thebesi? Ini makabe musedzela kusi kwe guma?’ Ube udwa mambo uti, ‘Ne nlanda wenyu Uriya we Nhiti wafabo.’ ”
- English22
The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say.
African KalangaNdizo ntumwa kayenda, ngono wakati eswika kabudza Dafite zose zwaakabe adwiwa ndi Joabu kuti azwilebe.
- English23
The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance to the city gate.
African KalangaNtumwa wakabudza Dafite eti, “Balume ibabaje bakatikulila, bakabhuda bakagwa naswi mu shango, koga takabatutudzila shule tikanobasiya pa nkoba we nzi.
- English24
Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”
African KalangaIpapo Baposi be misebe bakaposela misebe ku balanda benyu balipezhugwi kwe guma, ngono bamwe be balanda ba mambo bakafa ne nlanda wenyu Uriya we Nhiti wakafabo.”
- English25
David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”
African KalangaDafite wakadwa ntumwa kati, “Udwe Joabu uti, ‘Kuthu ikoku kusikugwadzise moyo, ngobe thumo lobhaya walinobe lalingisana naye. Igwani makasima mukolomodze nzi iwoyu.’ Ulebe uijalo kusimisa Joabu tjilopa.”
- African Kalanga
Kwakati nkadzi wa Uriya ewha kuti nlume uwe wafa, akanlilila.
- English27
After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.
African KalangaKukati tjibaka tje tjililo tjapinda, Dafite kabe eti nkadzi wa Uriya azhisiwe ku ng'umba iye, ngono kanlobola, akawanila Dafite mwana we tjilisana. Koga kuthu ikoku kwakathamwa ndi Dafite kukasishathise Yahwe.
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.