The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
2 Samuel 9English
2 Samuwele 9African Kalanga
- English1
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
African KalangaLimwe zhuba Dafite kabhuzwa eti, “Apa kutjina mmwe utjimpenyu we ng'umba ya Saulo kene? Ha alipo ndowonthamila lubu ngekwa Jonatani.”
- English2
Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “Your servant,” he replied.
African KalangaIpapo kukabe kuna nlanda we ng'umba ya Saulo wakabe edang'wa kuyi Ziba, kadanigwa mbeli kwa Dafite. Mambo bakambhuzwa bakati, “Ndiwe Ziba?” 'GKadabila eti, “Ndimi nlanda wenyu.”
- English3
The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”
African KalangaMambo bakabhuzwa kakale bakati, “Apa kutjina mmwe utjimpenyu we ng'umba ya Saulo wandinga lakidza ngoni dze Ndzimu kene?” 'GZiba kadabila mambo eti, “Nkololo wa Jonatani utjimpenyu, tjilema makumbo wose.”
- English4
“Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
African KalangaMambo bakambhuzwa bakati, “Ungayi?” Ziba kadabila mambo eti, “Uku ng'umba ya Makiri nkololo wa Amiele ku Lodeba.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Mambo Dafite bakatumila nthu kunontola kudwa ku ng'umba ya Makiri nkololo wa Amiele ku Lodeba.
- English6
When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “Your servant,” he replied.
African KalangaMefibosheti nkololo wa Jonatani, mwana we mwana wa Saulo kazha kuna Dafite, kakotamisa nsholo nge kuzwiyisa pasi. Dafite kan'dana kati, “Mefibosheti!” Kadabila kati, “Tetshi, nlanda wenyu upano.”
- English7
“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
African KalangaDafite kandwa kati, “Usitje, ndowokuthamila buthu ngekwa tate babo Jonatani, ndowokubgwilizila shango yose yakabe ili ya batategulu babo Saulo, ngono iwe ngekuko unowoja pa tafuli yangu misi yose.”
- English8
Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?”
African KalangaMefibosheti kakotamisa nsholo kati, “Apa imi nlanda wenyu ndini, kwamungadzina mukayitila hanya mbgwa yakafa sami kene?”
- English9
Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.
African KalangaNdizo mambo bakadana Ziba nlanda wa Saulo, bakandwa bakati, “Kose kwakabe kuli kwa Saulo ne ng'umba iye yose ndakupa mwana we mwana wa tetshi uwo.
- English10
You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
African KalangaIwe ne bakololo babo ne balanda babo mowonlimila nnda, mubuya muvuna munzhisila zojiwa. Kuti ndizo mwana we mwana wa tetshi uwo awane tjinojiwa, koga Mefibosheti mwana we mwana wa tetshi uwo unowoja pa tafuli yangu misi yose.” Ziba wakabe ana bakololo bali gumi lina bashanu (15) ne balanda bali makumi mabili (20).
- English11
Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons.
African KalangaZiba kadabila mambo eti, “Nlanda wenyu unoshinga zose zwa adwiwa ndi tetshi wangu mambo.” Mefibosheti kajila pa tafuli ya Dafite se mmwe we bakololo ba mambo.
- English12
Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth.
African KalangaMefibosheti wakabe ana nkololo ntjetjana we zina linoyi Mika. Ngono bose bakabe begala mu ng'umba ya Ziba bakabe balanda ba Mefibosheti.
- English13
And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.
African KalangaMefibosheti wakabe egala mu Jerusalema, egala ejila pa tafuli ya mambo, koga wakabe ali tjilema makumbo wose.
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.