The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Ezra 9English
Ezera 9African Kalanga
- English1
After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites.
African KalangaKwakati zose izwezwi zwathamwa zwapela, batungamili bakazha kundili bakati, “Bathu be Iziraela bakashangana ne bapirisiti ne Balevi abazozwishalula mu bathu babakabapa nabo be njudzi dzipoga, banoshinga mishingo isingadike inobhatisa shoni, banoshinga mishingo inonga ye bathu be Bakanana, Bahiti, Baperizi, Bajebusi, Baamoni, Bamoabu, Baegipiti ne Baamori.
- English2
They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”
African KalangaBakatola bakololokadzi babo bakabathama bakadzi babo ne bakadzi be bakololo babo. Mbewu yakayengemala ya zwishanganya ne be zwitjaba. Batungamili ne makulukota ndibo banonyanyisa mu kusangalamoyo ikoku.”
- English3
When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled.
African KalangaNdakati ndiwha ikoku apalula tjiambalo tjangu, asimula mavudzi mu nsholo wangu, asimula ne ndedu, agala pasi ndakazhalilana nge shungu.
- English4
Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.
African KalangaNgono bose bakabe betja matama e Ndzimu we Iziraela bakandikubunganila ngekwe kusagalamoyo kwe bakabuya kutapiwa.
- English5
Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self- abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God
African KalangaKwakati mu tjibaka tje tjibhayilo tje madekwana amilika pandakabe ndili gele ndakazhalilana, ndakaambala zwiambalo zwakapaluka, athigama, amilidzila maboko angu kuna Yahwe Ndzimu wangu,
- English6
and prayed: “O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.
African Kalangaatembezela nditi, “Ndobhakhwa nge shoni kukotamusila nsholo wangu kumuli Ndzimu wangu, ngobe jinyo ledu lipezhugwi kwazo, lopinda misholo yedu ne milandu yedu yakaswika kudzimu.
- English7
From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.
African KalangaKudwa tjose mu mazhuba a bobatategulu bedu kuswikilila ngwenu milandu yedu yakabe mikulu kwazo. Ngono ikoku kuthamwa nge jinyo ledu, iswi na bomambo bedu ne bapirisiti takalingisanyiwa nge thumo, nge kutapiwa, nge kutapigwa ne kubhatisiwa shoni ndi bomambo be njudzi dzipoga sekwa kuli iko ngwenu.
- English8
“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.
African KalangaNgono mu tjibaka tjifupi Yahwe, Ndzimu wedu bakabe ne ngoni mu kutisiyila malimbelimbe, ngono bakatipa magalo mabuyanana mu magalo abo akayengemala, ndizo Ndzimu wedu unopa tjedza mu mesho edu ne kusununguka kushomanana mu bulanda gwedu.
- English9
Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
African KalangaNenguba takabe tili balanda Ndzimu wedu auzotitizhila mu bulanda gwedu. Wakatilakidza buthu gwawo mbeli kwa bomambo be Pheshiya. Wakatipa tjibaka tjimwe kakale kuti timuse Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ne kuilulwamisa, kakale wakatipa guma le mbakililo mu Juda ne mu Jerusalema.
- African Kalanga
“Ngono ngwenu Ndzimu wedu tingatjalebani shule kwa itjetji kene? Se tisakasala shule milayo yenyu,
- English11
you gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other.
African Kalangayamakapa balanda benyu be balebesambeli muti, ‘Shango yamunongina muili kube yenyu, i shango yakabipa ibipisiwa nge mishingo ye bathu bamuili. Nge mishingo yabo yakabipa bakazhadza shango nge kutemapala.
- English12
Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’
African KalangaNdizo musitongolobodza bakololokadzi benyu bakololo babo kene bakololo benyu bakalobola bakololokadzi babo. Kakale atizofanila shaka mbakiso kene fumwa mu bali tjibaka tjipi kene tjipi, kuti ndizo musime muje zwithu zwakanaka zwe shango, ngono mu zwisiyile bana benyu zwili lukata gusingapele.’
- English13
“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.
African KalangaTjakatishingikalila i mbuyilo ye zwithu zwakabipa zwatakashinga, milandu mikulu koga imwi Ndzimu wedu makatiloba shamu tukununu koga, kusakalizana jinyo ledu, koga mukatisiyila malimbelimbe anonga iyawa.
- English14
Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor?
African KalangaTingatjuluka nlayo wenyu kakale, tikalobolana ne bathu be njudzi dzipoga banothama zwithu zwakabipa tjini kene? Ate mungatidelusila bushongola bukulu tjose, mukatilobesa tose kukasala kusina limbelimbe ne nge ling'ompela linotjila kene?
- English15
O Lord, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”
African KalangaImwi Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela makalulwama! Ndiswi koga bakasala mu zhuba lino tili malimbelimbe. Ndiswi ibaba tazha mbeli kwenyu nge milandu yedu, nenguba kusina wedu ungama mbeli kwenyu.”
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.