The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Esther 9English
Esita 9African Kalanga
- English1
On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.
African KalangaNdizo mu zhuba le bugumi lina matatu le mwedzi we Ada, ndaulo ne nlayo zwa mambo, zwikabe zwakafanila shingikadziwa, zhuba ileli ndilo zhuba lakabe zwita zwe Bajuta zwigalabgwe kuti zowobe zwikunda Bajuta ndilo, koga likashanduka kube zhuba Bajuta labakabe bowokunda zwita zwabo.
- English2
The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.
African KalangaBajuta bakazwikubunganya mu mizi yabo yose imu mituthu yose ya Mambo Ahasurusi kuti ndizo bamukilane na ibabo banoshaka kubagwisa. Kwakabe kusina nthu ungamilana nabo ngobe be njudzi dzimwe bakabe bobatja kunotjenamisa.
- English3
And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them.
African KalangaKakale makulukota e mituthu yose ne batungamili ne balauli ne makombgwa bakabhatsha Bajuta ngobe bakabe betja Modekayi.
- English4
Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
African KalangaModekayi wakabe abe nkulu mu ng'umba ya mambo ngono tjilumbi tjitje tjikazibgwa mu mituthu yose ngobe simba lile lakabe lipaphidzika tjibaka ne tjibaka.
- English5
The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.
African KalangaNdizo Bajuta bakabulaya zwita zwabo zose nge thumo, be babhaya be balobesa, bathama sekwa banoda nge zwita zwabo.
- African Kalanga
Ku nzi nkulu Susa Bajuta bakabulaya balume bali mazana ali mashanu (500).
- African Kalanga
Mubali bakabulaya Pashandatha na Dalifoni na Asifatha na Poratha na Adaliya na Aridatha na Pamashita na Arisai na Aridayi na Vayizatha. Bose ibaba bali gumi bakololo ba Hamani nkololo wa Hamedatha tjita tje Bajuta. Koga kutapa iko bakasikukume.
- African Kalanga
Read with verses 7–10 above in the source edition.
- African Kalanga
Read with verses 7–10 above in the source edition.
- English10
the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
African KalangaRead with verses 7–10 above in the source edition.
- African Kalanga
Mu zhuba ilelo zwalo, mambo wakabikigwa mbalo ye balume bakabulawa mu nzi nkulu we Susa.
- English12
The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.”
African KalangaKudwapo mambo kayenda kuna Nfumakadzi Esita ngono kandwa kati, “Mu nzi nkulu Susa, Bajuta babulaya balume bali mazana ali mashanu (500) ne bakololo bali gumi ba Hamani. Ngono dumbu, bathamani mu mimwe mituthu yangu yasala kene! Ngwenu ini tjaunoshaka? Leba koga unowotjipiwa. Ini tjaunokumbila kakale? Naitjo ndowokupa itjo.”
- English13
“If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on gallows.”
African KalangaNgono Esita kashandula eti, “Apa kushathisa mambo, ndokumbila kuti Bajuta bamuke bashingikadze nlayo iwoyo wa nasi kakale, bakololo ba Hamani ibaba bali gumi basungiligwe mu thungamakole.”
- English14
So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.
African KalangaNdizo mambo kalaula kuti itjetjo tjishingwe. Ngono kukadusiwa ndaulo yakajalo mu Susa ndizo bana ba Hamani bakasungiligwa.
- English15
The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
African KalangaBajuta bakabe bali mu Susa bakazwikubunganyabo mu zhuba le bugumi lina manna mu mwedzi we Ada ngono bakabulaya balume bali mazana ali matatu (300), koga kutapa iko bakasikuthame.
- English16
Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder.
African KalangaMu zhuba le bugumi lina matatu le mwedzi we Ada, Bajuta bamwe bakabe basala mu mituthu mimwe ya mambo bakazwikubunganya kuti bazwigwile basununguke mu zwita zwabo. Bakabulaya zwita zwabo zwili zwiwulu zwili makumi ali kutendeka ana bushanu (75 000), koga kutapa iko bakasikuthame. Kudwapo mu zhuba le bugumi lina manna Bajuta bakanyaluluka ngono bakathama zhuba le nzano we kushatha.
- English17
This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
African KalangaRead with verses 16–17 above in the source edition.
- English18
The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
African KalangaKoga Bajuta bakabe bali mu Susa bakakubungana mu zhuba le bugumi lina matatu nele bugumi lina mashanu ngono bakanyaluluka mu zhuba le bugumi lina mashanu, muna ilelo zhuba bakathama nzano we kushatha.
- English19
That is why rural Jews–those living in villages– observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.
African KalangaNdizo Bajuta banogala ku makanyi bethama zhuba le bugumi lina manna le mwedzi we Ada zhuba le kushatha, ne le kunyaluluka kakale ili zhuba le kupana zwipo zwakanaka zwe zojiwa.
- English20
Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,
African KalangaModekayi kakwala zwiyitikalo zose izwezwi, kudwapo katumila whalo ku Bajuta bose bakabe bali mu mituthu yose ya Mambo Ahasurusi bapejo ne bakule,
- African Kalanga
ebabudza kuti bakafanila kuti gole ne gole bathame nzano we shatho mu zhuba le bugumi lina manna (14) ne mu zhuba le bugumi lina mashanu (15) le mwedzi we Ada,
- English22
as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
African Kalangaiwo mazhuba akati Bajuta bakawana sununguko mu zwita zwabo kakale ili mwedzi wakati zhuba le tjililo likashanduka zhuba le shatho ne mpululu. Bakafanila kuti baathame mazhuba e nzano we shatho, mazhuba ekupa bamwe zwipo zwakanaka zwe zojiwa ne kukobana ne banosheta.
- English23
So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them.
African KalangaNdizo Bajuta bakathama sekwa bakatanga bethama ne kulondolodza tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabaka kwaligwa ndi Modekayi.
- English24
For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction.
African KalangaHamani we N'agati nkololo wa Hamedatha, tjita tje Bajuta bose, wakabe alukila Bajuta gwanga ngoposa hakata, kubona tjibaka tjakalingisana kubabulaya ne kubalobesa.
- English25
But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
African KalangaEsita wakati ayenda kuna Mambo Ahasurusi kankumbila kuti atjidze bathu babe, mambo wakadusa ndaulo nge nkwalo kuti maano a Hamani mabiibi aakabe alukila Bajuta athamigwe iye ne bakololo babe basungiligwe mu thungamakole.
- English26
(Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them,
African KalangaNgekwe kose kwakakwagwa mu lukwalo gwa Modekayi ne tjakabe tjakabalingisana bakadana mazhuba iyawa beti Purimu, Purimu ili dama lidwa mu dama linoyi Puri,
- English27
the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed.
African Kalangandizo Bajuta ne zwizekugwana zwabo na bose bakazwishanganya nabo, bakazwimisila kuti banowolondolodza mazhuba iyawa gole ne gole sekwa kwakakwagwa.
- English28
These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.
African KalangaMazhuba iyawa akapelela ili kuti akafanila kumbulukigwa kakale alondolodziwe kudwa mu tjizekugwana kunoti ku tjizekugwana, mu nsha mmwe ne mmwe, ne mu ntuthu mmwe ne mmwe ne nzi nkulu mmwe ne mmwe. Kakale mazhuba iyawa e purimu azofanila lengudziwa kene Bajuta bakamisa kualondolodza.
- English29
So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.
African KalangaNdizo Nfumakadzi Esita nkololokadzi wa Abihaile na Modekayi we Njuta, kakwala lukwalo nge simba le bufumakadzi esisithila lukwalo gwe bubili gwakabe guleba ngekwe nzano we Purimu.
- English30
And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes–words of goodwill and assurance–
African KalangaWhalo dzakatumiligwa Bajuta bose ne ku mituthu ili zana lina makumi mabili ana ali kutendeka ye bushe gwa Ahasurusi, dzibayemulila mbakiso ne mbakililo,
- English31
to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.
African Kalangane kuti mazhuba e Purimu alondolodziwe tjibaka tjakabigwa sekwa Modekayi we Njuta ne Nfumakadzi Esita bakalaulila Bajuta, ngono ibo bakazwimisila kupitshila kulondolodza ikoku ku zwizekugwana zwabo koga sekwa bakazwimisila kulondolodza misi yekuzwinyima zojiwa neye tjililo.
- English32
Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.
African KalangaNdizo zila dze kulondolodza nzano we Purimu dzakazhadzisiwa ne Nfumakadzi Esita ngono dzikakwagwa pasi.
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.