The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Esther 8English
Esita 8African Kalanga
- English1
That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.
African KalangaMu zhuba ilelo zwalo Mambo Ahasurusi kapa Nfumakadzi Esita zose zwakabe ili zwa Hamani tjita tje Bajuta. Mu tjibaka itjetjo Modekayi kazha mbeli kwa mambo ngobe Esita wakabe atjibudza mambo kuti iye Esita unozwalana tjini na Modekayi.
- English2
The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.
African KalangaNgono mambo wakatola ring'i ina itempa tjitje yaakabe atola muna Hamani ngono kaipa Modekayi. Kudwapo Esita kabiga Modekayi ntjengeti we thundu dzakabe dzili dza Hamani.
- English3
Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
African KalangaIpapo kakale Esita kayenda kunolebeleka na mambo kakale, kaswika kanthingamila ekumbila mambo nge moyo uwe wose kuti mambo amise nkumbulo wa Hamani we Agagi wekuti Bajuta babulawe.
- African Kalanga
Ngono mambo katambunudzila swimbgwana iye ye bushe yakathamwa nge golide kuna Esita,
- English5
“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.
African Kalangangono Esita kamilika kati, “Tetshi wangu, ha kumushathisa kakale mubona kwakamululwamila kakale muna hanya nami, itini kube ne nkwalo unomisa whalo dzakakwagwa ndi Hamani we N'agagi nkololo wa Hamedatha, dzaakakwala elaula kuti Bajuta bose bamu ntuthu wa mambo babulawe.
- English6
For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”
African KalangaDumbu, dumbu ndingadzikitadza tjini wale ha bathu bakanyi kwangu ne makamu angu bawigwa nge tjingapa kene?”
- English7
King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows.
African KalangaNgono Mambo Ahasurusi kadwa Nfumakadzi Esita na Modekayi we Njuta kati, “Bonani, ndapa Esita thundu ya Hamani, iye wasungiligwa mu thungamakole ngekwe kubulaya Bajuta kukwe.
- English8
Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring–for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”
African KalangaNdizo iwe ungakwala ngekwe Bajuta sekwa unoshaka, ube uloba itempa tjimu ring'i yangu, nkwalo wakabigwa itempa tjangu akuna ungautjinyulula.”
- English9
At once the royal secretaries were summoned–on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.
African KalangaYezwi ndizwakashingikala mu zhuba le bumakumi mabili ana mazhuba matatu mu mwedzi we butatu unodang'wa Sivani: Modekayi wakadana bakwalili ba mambo kalaula kuti bakwalile Bajuta ne batungamili ne balauli ne makulukota e mituthu yose ili zana lina makumi mabili ana ili kutendeka (127), kutangisa mu Indiya kunoti ku Itopiya. Ntuthu mmwe ne mmwe ukwaligwa ne nkwalo nenge lulimi gwawo.
- English10
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.
African KalangaNkwalo wakabe uli mu zina la Mambo Ahasurusi kakale wakabigwa itempa tje ring'i yabo, whalo dzakatumiligwa nge batumwa be mbizi dzakanaka dzakatogwa muna dze danga le bushe.
- English11
The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children; and to plunder the property of their enemies.
African KalangaWhalo idzedzi dzakabe dzipa Bajuta bakabe bali mu mizi yakasiyana siyana simba le kuti bazwigwile ne kukolomodza ne kubulaya babhayani bamwe ne bamwe mu mituthu yakasiyana siyana bangadwa beshaka kubagwisa, babulayilanye kose nenge bakadzi babo ne bana babo ne kubatapila thundu dzabo.
- English12
The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
African KalangaNdaulo iyeyi yakabe yakafanila shingikadziwa mu mituthu yose ya Mambo Ahasurusi mu zhuba le bugumi lina butatu le mwedzi we bugumi lina mibili unodang'wa mwedzi we Ada.
- English13
A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
African KalangaNtutshi we tjakabe tjakwagwa wakabe wakafanila kuti upaladziwe uli nlayo mu mituthu yose ne mu njudzi dzose, kuti ndizo Bajuta babe bakazwilulwamisila kubgwilizila zwita zwabo.
- English14
The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king’s command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
African KalangaNdizo nge ndaulo ya mambo, batumwa bakatola mbizi dze bushe dzina lubilo ngono tjinyolotjonyolotjo ndaulo ikaandamisiwa mu nzi nkulu Susa.
- English15
Mordecai left the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.
African KalangaKudwa ipapo Modekayi kamilika pana mambo akaambala hazu ye bushe ye mbala we gova ne butjena ne tjiala tjikulu tje golide ne ngubo yakathamiwa nge jila lakanaka le mbala nshaba wakabondelela. Bathu be nzi nkulu Susa bakabe bakashatha bepululudza.
- African Kalanga
Ngobe Bajuta bakabe balizhele kushatha batjisununguka kakale bekudziwa pamwe ne pamwe.
- English17
In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
African KalangaNgono mu ntuthu mmwe ne mmwe ne mu nzi mmwe ne mmwe wayisiwa ndaulo ne nlayo ya Mambo Bajuta bakabe ne gudzo ne shatho ngono bakathama zhuba le nzano. Ipapo bathu be njudzi dzipoga bakazwidana Bajuta ngobe bakabe botjibatja.
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.