The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
2 Samuel 20English
2 Samuwele 20African Kalanga
- English1
Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bicri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted, “We have no share in David, no part in Jesse’s son! Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
African KalangaIpapo kukabe ne mmwe nthu usi we tjimwe we zina linoyi Sheba, nkololo wa Bikiri we Nbhenjamini, kalidza lunyanga ebe eti, “Atina gobe muna Dafite, naiko atina lukata mu nkololo wa Jesi, imwi, Baiziraela, mmwe ne mmwe ngaayende ku nzi uwe.”
- English2
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
African KalangaNdizo bathu bose be Iziraela bakashandukila Dafite, bakatobela Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri, koga Bajuda bakatobela Dafite nge kugalikabgwe kudwa ku Jorodani kunoti ku Jerusalema.
- English3
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but did not lie with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
African KalangaNgono Dafite kati eswika ku ng'umba iye ye bushe ku Jerusalema, katola bakadzi babe be bakadzi batukunu baakabe asiya bakalinda ng'umba kababiga mu imwe ng'umba bakalindiwa, ebajisa ngono asingawalilane nabo. Bakazhaliligwa butjilo gwabo gose, baligele se tjilikadzi.
- English4
Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
African KalangaNdizo mambo kadwa Amasa kati, “Undidanile babhayani bose be Juda bazhe kundili nngwani, nawe ubepobo.”
- African Kalanga
Amasa kanodana babhayani be Juda, koga kanonoka kasiswike mu zhuba lakabe labigwa ndi mambo.
- English6
David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”
African KalangaDafite kabe edwa Abishayi eti, “Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri unowotithamila mbipo inopinda yatakathamigwa ndi Abusalomu, tola balanda ba tetshi uwo untatamile, ungadwa engina mu mizi yakabakiligwa nge luswingo, ngono tikasitjankunde.”
- English7
So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
African KalangaNdizo babhayani ba Joabu ne Bakhereti ne Bapeleti ne babhayani bose bakasima bakabhuda mu Jerusalema bakatatamila Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri bakatungamigwa ndi Abishayi.
- English8
While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
African KalangaBakati beswika pa shongwe wulu imu Gibiyoni, Amasa kabashanganidza. Ipapo Joabu wakabe akaambala tjiambalo tje ngwa, mu thunji dzidze ana mwandabula wakasungigwa ikhata tjina bukanu muili, kati eyendila mbeli gukawila pasi.
- English9
Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
African KalangaNgono Joabu kadwa Amasa kati, “Unomukazo nkololo wa tate?” Joabu kabhata Amasa nge ndedu nge luboko gwe luji kumputa.
- English10
Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.
African KalangaKoga Amasa kasibe nge njele ngekwe bukanu gwakabe guli mu luboko gwa Joabu, ndizo Joabu kambhaya ndigo mu ntumbu mabula katebukila pasi, tjinyolotjo kafa, ngono kasimbhaye kakale. Joabu ne nnung'una uwe Abishayi bakatatamila Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri.
- English11
One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”
African KalangaMmwe we babhayani ba Joabu kama pa itumbu tja Amasa kamimila eti, “Mmwe ne mmwe umile na Joabu na Dafite ngaatobele Joabu.”
- English12
Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.
African KalangaNgono Amasa kakandalala akadubama mu malopa awe pakati kwe zila, ngono mmwe ne mmwe wakabe eti epinda nge zila kama, ndizo mmwe we babhayani ba Joabu kakwebela itumbu tja Amasa ku shango kaposela ngubo pezhugwi kwatjo.
- English13
After Amasa had been removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bicri.
African KalangaKukati kusinobe kwadusiwa itumbu tja Amasa mu zila, babhayani bose bakatobela Joabu betatamila Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri.
- English14
Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
African KalangaSheba kapalama njudzi dzose dze Iziraela kunoti ku Abele iku Bhethimaaka, ngono Babiri bose bakakubungana bakantobela mu nzi.
- English15
All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maacah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down,
African KalangaBabhayani ba Joabu bakawha kuti Sheba umukati kwe Abelibetimaka, ipapo bakayenda bakanokomba nzi. Bakabaka duluthulu le mavu kunoti pezhugwi kwe luswingo gukuzhe, ngono bakatangisa kukatsha luswingo kuti baguligile pasi.
- English16
a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.”
African KalangaIpapo mmwe nkadzi wakabe akatjenjela akamimila ali mukati kwe luswingo eti, “Whililani! Whililani! Idwani Joabu azhe ngeno, ‘Ndokumbila lebeleka naye.’ ”
- English17
He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he answered. She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.” “I’m listening,” he said.
African KalangaNgono Joabu kazha pejo naye, ipapo nkadzi kambhuzwa kati, “Ndimwi Joabu kene?” Kadabila eti, “Ndimi.” Ndizo kandwa kati, “Teedzani matama e nlandakadzi wenyu.” Ngono kadabila eti, “Ndakateedza.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo nkadzi kati kunli, “Kwakalebgwa ne bantolo kuyi, ‘Dzene banganokumbila gumbuludzo koga ku Abele,’ ngono shule kwa ikoku, bakapedza ndebo.
- English19
We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
African KalangaImi ndi mmwe we banoda lunyalalo kakale unogalikabgwe mu Iziraela, apa unoshaka kolomola nzi nkulu we Iziraela, ini ungalobesa lukata gwa Yahwe kene?”
- African Kalanga
Joabu kashandula eti, “Ngakube kutjena nami, kube kutjena, kuti ndingaulobesa kene kuli kuukolomola!
- English21
That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.”
African KalangaAtizozwimisila kukolomola nzi wenyu. Koga nlume we shango ye matombo ye Ifureimi, unoyi Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri, wakapandukila Mambo Dafite, mundipe iye koga, ndowobe ndiletjedza kukolomola nzi.” Nkadzi kabe edwa Joabu eti, “Towomuposela nsholo uwe tiutjuludza luswingo.”
- English22
Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
African KalangaNdizo nkadzi kayenda kanobudza bathu nge butjenjedu gugwe. Ngono bakathubula nsholo wa Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri bakauposela kuzhe kuna Joabu. Ndizo Joabu kalidza lunyanga, ngono bakapalala bedwa pa nzi we Abele, mmwe ne mmwe kayenda kanyi kwabo. Ngono Joabu iye kashandukila ku Jerusalema kuna mambo.
- English23
Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;
African KalangaNgwenu Joabu kabe ntungamili we babhayani bose be Iziraela, Bhenaya nkololo wa Jehoyada kabe ntungamili we Bakhereti ne Bapeleti.
- African Kalanga
Adoramu wakabe ali nlauli we bashingi, Jehoshafati nkololo wa Ahiludi ali nkwali we zwiyitikalo.
- African Kalanga
Sheva wakabe ali nkwalili, ngono Zadoki na Abiathari bali bapirisiti
- African Kalanga
na Ira we Njairi na iyebo ali mpirisiti wa Dafite.
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.