The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Exodus 18English
Kufuluka 18African Kalanga
- English1
Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
African KalangaJeturo mpirisiti we Midiyana, nkalabgwa wa Mushe kawha kose Ndzimu kwawakathamila Mushe ne bakanyi kwabo Baiziraela. Kawha sekwa Yahwe bakadusa Baiziraela mu Egipiti.
- African Kalanga
Jeturo nkalabgwa wa Mushe wakabe aamutjila Ziphora nkadzi wa Mushe, paakabe abgwiliziwa kanyi kwabo,
- English3
and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;
African Kalangane bakololo babe babili. Mmwe wabo zina lile lakabe liyi Geshomu lidwa kuti, “Ndakabe nkumbi mu shango ye butaya.”
- English4
and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
African KalangaZina le mmwe liyi Elieza, lidwa kuti, “Ndzimu wa tate bangu wakabe mbhatshi wangu, kakale wakandiangula mu thumo la Faro.”
- English5
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.
African KalangaNgono Jeturo kazha ne bakololo ba Mushe ne nkadzi wa Mushe mu tjilambanyika Mushe paakabe athibelela pa Dombo le Ndzimu.
- English6
Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
African KalangaJeturo wakabe alayilila kuna Mushe eti, “Imi nkalabgwa uwo Jeturo, ndaswika ku kuli ndina nkadzi uwo ne bakololo benyu babili.”
- English7
So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.
African KalangaMushe kabhuda kayenda kunoshanganidza nkalabgwa uwe, kathigama kabutjila, bakabhuzwana mamuko, bakabe bengina mu nshasha.
- English8
Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.
African KalangaNdizo Mushe kabudza nkalabgwa uwe kose Yahwe kwabakathama muna Faro ne Baegipiti ngekwe Baiziraela, kambudza mang'oni wose abakawilana nawo mu zila nenge sekwa bakagwigwa ndi Yahwe.
- English9
Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians.
African KalangaNgono Jeturo kashatha kwazo eshathila kose kwakanaka kwakathamigwa Baiziraela ndi Yahwe, kubaangula mu maboko e Baegipiti.
- English10
He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians.
African KalangaKalebeleka kakale eti, “Ngakukudziwe Yahwe, ibo bakamuangula mu maboko e Baegipiti ne mu luboko gwa Faro!
- English11
Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”
African KalangaNgwenu ndoziba kuti Yahwe bankulu pa midzimu yose, ngoti bakaangula Baiziraela mu maboko e Baegipiti pabakabe bebalengudza.”
- English12
Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
African KalangaNgono Jeturo nkalabgwa wa Mushe kadusila Ndzimu tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa ne zwipo; Aroni kazha ne bakulu be Baiziraela kuwoja zojiwa ne nkalabgwa wa Mushe mbeli kwe Ndzimu.
- English13
The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
African KalangaTjimuka Mushe kamukila kusumikilisa bathu, ngono bathu bakama bakakubunganila Mushe kudwa mangwanana kudzina zhuba lingina.
- English14
When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
African KalangaNkalabgwa wa Mushe kati ebona kose Mushe kwaakabe ethamila bathu, kambhuzwa kati, “Apa ini ikoku kwaunothamila bathu kene? Ini ugala uli woga bathu bose bema bakakubunganila kudwa mangwanana kunoti madekwana?”
- African Kalanga
Mushe kadabila nkalabgwa uwe eti, “Whuti bathu banozha kundili kuwobhuzwa ngekwe kuda kwe Ndzimu.
- English16
Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
African KalangaHa basawhanana ngekwe tjimwe banozha kundili imi ndibe ndilinga pakati kwe nthu ne ikamu tjitje, ndibuya ndibazibisa ndaulo dze Ndzimu ne milayo yawo.”
- African Kalanga
Nkalabgwa wa Mushe kandwa kati, “Tjaunothama atjizolulwama.
- English18
You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.
African KalangaIwe ne bathu baunabo mowozwipaula, ngoti ikoku kokulemela kwazo, aungakutubule uli woga.
- English19
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
African KalangaTjindiwhilila ngwenu, ndowokupa mano, Ndzimu ube nawe! Iwe unowomila bathu mbeli kwe Ndzimu ubuya uyisa ndebo dzabo ku Ndzimu
- English20
Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.
African Kalangane kubadiya ndaulo ne ndongoloso, ubalakidze zila yabakafanila tjila ndiyo ne zwabakafanila shinga.
- English21
But select capable men from all the people–men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain–and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
African KalangaPezhugwi kwa ikoku, shalula balume banotubula pakati kwe bathu ibaba bose, bali balume banotja Ndzimu, begalikabgwe kakale bebenga tjizwimba nlomo. Balume ibaba ubathame batungamili be bathu, bamwe bali babusi be zwiwulu, bamwe be mazana, bamwe be makumi mashanu, bamwe bali babusi be makumi.
- English22
Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you.
African KalangaNgabasumikilise bathu misi yose, koga ndebo dzinolema badzizhise ku kuli. Ndebo dzisingaleme badzipedzise ibo, kowokulelusila ngoti banowobe bakasengesana ntolo nawe.
- English23
If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
African KalangaSekwa unolauligwa ne Ndzimu, nge zila yakajali, unowotubula dzikitadzila tjimo, bathu ibaba bose banoyenda ku mizi yabo bagutshika.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Mushe kateedza dama le nkalabgwa uwe, ngono kashinga kose kwabakaleba.
- English25
He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
African KalangaMushe kashalula balume banotubula mu Baiziraela bose kabathama batungamili be bathu, bamwe bali babusi be zwiwulu, bamwe be mazana, bamwe be makumi mashanu ne be makumi.
- English26
They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
African KalangaNgono bakasumikilisa bathu misi yose, koga ndebo dzinolema be dziyisa kuna Mushe, ndebo ndelundelu bedzipedzisa ibo.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Mushe kawonekana ne nkalabgwa uwe kayenda, kabgwilila ku shango ya kanyi kwabo.
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.