The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Esther 4English
Esita 4African Kalanga
- English1
When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
African KalangaKwakati Modekayi asinoziba ngekwe zose zwakashingwa, kapalulanya zwiambalo zwaakambala, kazhola nlota, kaambala zwiambalo zwakathamwa nge saka, ngono kapalama nzi nkulu emimila guwo linowhisa zogwadza,
- English2
But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.
African Kalangakayenda tjose akajalo kudzina enoti pa nkoba we ng'umba ya mambo ngobe yakabe isi fanilo kuti nthu ungangina akaambala tjiambalo tje saka.
- English3
In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
African KalangaPamwe ne pamwe pakabe kwabikwa ndaulo ya mambo, Bajuta bakasala bali mu tjililo tjinotjenamisa, bezwinyima zojiwa, bunji gwabo bakaizela mu masaka bakaawala mu nlota.
- English4
When Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
African KalangaKwakati balandakadzi ba Esita ne ngomwa basinobudza Esita tjakabe tjinothamwa ndi Modekayi kazhalilana kwazo, ngono kadusa zwiambalo kuti zwipiwe Modekayi aambale izo mu bumo gwezwe saka, ngono iye kazwilamba.
- English5
Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
African KalangaNgono Esita kadana Hathaki mmwe we ngomwa dza mambo, Hathaki wakabe adusiwa ndi mambo kuti ashingile Esita, kantuma kuna Modekayi kuti ambuzwe kuti koshingikalani.
- African Kalanga
Hathaki wakayenda kuna Modekayi pa tjibata tji mbeli kwe nkoba we bugalo gwa mambo mu nzi nkulu,
- English7
Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.
African Kalangangono Modekayi kambudza kose kwakanshingikalila nenge kuti Hamani wakagadzabgwe kulipa be dula la mambo bungana ha Bajuta balobesiwa.
- English8
He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
African KalangaModekayi wakampa ntutshi we ndaulo yabakadusigwa kudwa ku Susa kuti balobesiwe kuti ndizo anoilakidza Esita. Wakankumbila kuti aswike atjenesele Esita tjimo ngono andwe anokumbila mambo kuti babawhile zogwadza kuti ndizo bawhile bathu babe zogwadza.
- African Kalanga
Ngono Hathaki akayenda kanobudza Esita tjalebgwa ndi Modekayi.
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Esita katuma Hathaki kuna Modekayi kuti anondwa ati
- English11
“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
African Kalanga“Bakumbuludzi bose ba mambo ne bathu be bushe banoziba kuti apa nlume kene nkadzi anganginila ku ng'umba ya mambo asadang'wa, kuna nlayo nng'ompela koga wakanlingisana unoti, ‘abulawe,’ kuzhe kwe kuti mambo bangamilidzila swimbgwana yabo ye bushe yakathamwa nge golide mu nthu wakajalo ndizo kasibulawe. Koga imi ndipano ndakagala mazhuba ali makumi matatu andithu adanigwa ku ng'umba ya mambo.”
- African Kalanga
Bakati bebudza Modekayi tjalebgwa ndi Esita,
- English13
he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.
African KalangaModekayi kabadwa kati bayende banozibisa Esita yetji: “Usitongo kumbula kuti ne kuti unogala mu ng'umba ya mambo wakabakililika kupinda Bajuta bamwe.
- English14
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
African KalangaApa unganyalala koga mu tjibaka tjino, sununguko ne jidzo le Bajuta zowodwa ntome koga iwe ne be nsha wa tate babo mukalobesiwa. Ndiyani dumbu ungaziba, bamwe nditjo tjawakabigigwa Nfumakadzi itjetji.”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Esita wakashandula eti,
- English16
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
African Kalanga“Yenda unokubunganya Bajuta bose bamu Susa, muzwinyime zojiwa. Musitongoja kene kung'wa kwe mazhuba matatu ne masiku matatu, ngono imi ne babhatshi bangu towozwinyimabo zojiwa namwi. Ngono kudwapo ndowoyenda kuna mambo nenguba kusi mu mpanga, koga ha ndifa ndowofa koga.”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Modekayi kamilika kanothama tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaadwiwa ndi Esita.
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.