The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Deuteronomy 31English
Matama 31African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
“Ndizo Mushe kadwilila eleba matama iyawa ku Baiziraela bose.
- English2
“I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’
African KalangaNgono kabadwa kati, ‘Ndabe ne makole ali zana lina makole ali makumi mabili (120) nasi mu zhuba lino, anditjatubula kuyenda yeno na yeno.’ Yahwe bakati kundili, ‘Iwe awutowotjuluka Jorodani.’
- English3
The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the Lord said.
African KalangaYahwe Ndzimu wenyu ibo tjekwabo banowomutungamila ha mutjuluka, banowolobesa njudzi idzedzi mbeli kwenyu, kuti ndizo mudzitolele shango yadzo, ngono Joshuwa unowotjuluka akamutungamila Yahwe sekwa baleba.
- English4
And the Lord will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land.
African KalangaNgono Yahwe banowobathama sekwa bakathama Sihoni na Ogi, bomambo be Baamori ne shango yabo pabakabalobesa.
- African Kalanga
Yahwe banowobalonga mu maboko enyu ngono mowobathama kuyendidzana ne nlayo wandakamupa.
- English6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
African KalangaSimani mube ne tjilopa, musitongotja kene mukalobgwa nge hana nge kwabo, ngoti Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu ndibo banoyenda namwi abangathame kuti mukong'we, abangamusiye.”
- English7
Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.
African Kalanga“Ipapo Mushe kadana Joshuwa ebe eti kunli mu mesho e Baiziraela bose, ‘Sima ube ne tjilopa, ngoti unowoyenda ne bathu ibaba ku shango Yahwe yabakatuna kuna bobatategulu babo kubapa iyo ngono uthame kuti bayitole.
- English8
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
African KalangaYahwe ndibo banowomutungamila, banowobe nawe, abanga kulashe kene kuli kukusiya, usitje kene kuli kutemeka mafupa.’ ”
- English9
So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.
African Kalanga“Ngono Mushe kakwala nlayo iwoyu ngono kawupa bapirisiti, bakololo ba Levi bakabe bakasenga Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe ne sholotjena dzose dze Iziraela.”
- English10
Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles,
African KalangaIpapo Mushe kabalaya eti, “Kubupelo gwe makole mamwe ne mamwe mu tjibaka tjakabigwa tje gole le kusununguka, ku Nzano we Mishasha,
- English11
when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing.
African KalangaBaiziraela bose pabanobe bezha mbeli kwa Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu pa bugalo gwabanowobe bashalula, iwe ubale nlayo iwoyu mbeli kwe Baiziraela bose bakawhilila.
- English12
Assemble the people–men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns–so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.
African KalangaUkubunganye bathu, balume ne bakadzi ne bana ne balubili bamu mizi yenyu kuyita kuti bawhe bazwidiye kutja Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu ne kube ne njele kushinga tjimu matama e nlayo iwoyu,
- English13
Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”
African Kalangane kuti bana babo basakatongo uziba bawhe ngono bazwidiye kutja Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu sayikoko ha mutjibapenyu mu shango yamunotjuluka Jorodani kuyithama yenyu.”
- English14
The Lord said to Moses, “Now the day of your death is near. Call Joshua and present yourselves at the Tent of Meeting, where I will commission him.” So Moses and Joshua came and presented themselves at the Tent of Meeting.
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakati kuna Mushe, “Bona mazhuba anosedzela pawakafanila kufa, dana Joshuwa muzhe mu nshasha we bushanganilo kuti ndintume.” Ngono Mushe na Joshuwa bakayenda bakanongina mu nshasha we bushanganilo.
- English15
Then the Lord appeared at the Tent in a pillar of cloud, and the cloud stood over the entrance to the Tent.
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakaboneka mu nshasha bali mu gole, gole likama pa nkoba we nshasha.
- English16
And the Lord said to Moses: “You are going to rest with your fathers, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakati kuna Mushe, “Bona, wabe pejo nge kulala na bobatategulu babo, ngono bathu ibaba banowomilika bakathama bufukula betebela midzimu ipoga ye shango iyeyi kwabanoyenda kunobe pakati kwabo, ngono banowondifupatila bakatjinya tjidumano tjangu tjandakathama nabo.
- English17
On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters and difficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is not with us?’
African KalangaIpapo bushongola gwangu gowobamukila mu zhuba ilelo, ngono ndowobasiya abasumbikila buso gwangu, ngono banowolobesiwa ne zwinjinji zwakabipa ne zwinodziyidza zowobawila, ndizo banowoti mu zhuba ilelo, ‘Apa zwibiibi izwezwi azwitotiwila ngoti Ndzimu wedu awupo pakati kwedu kene?’
- English18
And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all their wickedness in turning to other gods.
African KalangaNgono nge malebeswa ndowosumbika buso gwangu mu zhuba ilelo ngekwe bubi gwabanowobe begushinga, ngoti bashandukila ku midzimu mimwe.
- English19
“Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them.
African KalangaNdizo wali ngwenu kwala lumbo igogu, ugudiye bathu be Iziraela, ugulonge mu milomo yabo, kuti lumbo igogu gube butendeki gwangu kulingisana ne bathu be Iziraela.
- English20
When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant.
African KalangaNgoti ndowoti ndabalonga mu shango inowunga nkaka ne butji iyo yandakagadzabgwe bobatategulu babo kubapa iyo, ngono bakaja bakaguta bakakola, banowoshandukila ku mimwe midzimu bebe beyishingila bendidadila betjinya tjidumano tjangu.
- English21
And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.”
African KalangaNgono kowoti zwakabipa zwinjinji ne zwinodziyidza zwabawila, lumbo igogu gowolingisana nabo se ntendeki, ngoti agungakanganike gukadwa mu milomo ye bana babo. Ndoziba mazwimisilo abanobumba kale ndisathu abalonga mu shango yandakatuna kubapa.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Mushe kakwala lumbo igogu mu zhuba ilelo ngono kagudiya bathu be Iziraela.
- English23
The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakalaya Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni bakati, “Sima ube ne tjilopa unowoyisa bathu be Iziraela ku shango yandakatuna kubapa, ndowobe ndinawe.”
- African Kalanga
Kwakati Mushe asinopedza kukwala matama e nlayo iwoyu mu lukwalo kunoti kubupelo,
- African Kalanga
Mushe kadwa Balevi bakabe besenga Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe kati,
- English26
“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.
African Kalanga“Tolani lukwalo igogu gwe nlayo mugubige pawunde ye Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, kuti kube ipapo kutendeka nge kwenyu.
- English27
For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!
African KalangaNgoti ndoziba mu bapanduki kakale makawoma misholo kungapani. Bonani, ndatinditjatjila namwi, nasi mapandukila Yahwe, ngono pandinowobe ndafa mowothama kuli kungapani kene!
- English28
Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them.
African KalangaKubunganyilani kundili misholo yose ye njudzi dzenyu ne makulukota, kuti ndilebe matama iyawa mu zebe dzabo ndidane kudzimu ne shango kutendeka nge kwabo.
- English29
For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made.”
African KalangaNgoti ndoziba kuti ndowoti ndafa mube muthama zwakabipa, mupambuka mu zila yandakamupa, ngono mu mazhuba ambeli mbipo inowomuwila ngoti mowoshinga tjakabipa mu mesho a Yahwe, mubatanga mubagwadzisa moyo nge mishingo ye maboko enyu.”
- English30
And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:
African KalangaIpapo Mushe kaleba matama e lumbo igogu kuswikila epelela, elebeleka ne gubungano lose le Iziraela.
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.