The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Genesis 48English
Kutangisa 48African Kalanga
- English1
Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.
African KalangaShule kwe tjibaka Josefa kabudziwa kuyi, “Tate babo banogwala.” Ndizo katola bakololo babe babili, Manase na Ifureimi kayenda nabo ku bali.
- English2
When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
African KalangaJakubo kati abudziwa kuyi, “Nkololo wenyu Josefa wazha ku muli,” Iziraela kazwisimisa kamuka kagala pa bulawo.
- English3
Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me
African KalangaJakubo kati kuna Josefa, “Ndzimu Masimbawose bakaboneka kundili mu nzi we Luzi mu shango ye Kanana ngono bakandikombolela.”
- English4
and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’
African KalangaBakandidwa bakati, “Ndowokuthama ukabe ne mbeleko, unowobe ne bana banjinji. Ndowokuthama itjaba tje bathu, ngono ndowopa ludzi gugo shango iyeyi kube yabo nge kusingapele.”
- English5
“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
African KalangaJakubo kadwilila eti, “Ndizo ngwenu wali bakololo babo babili bakazwaligwa mu Egipiti ndisathu azha ngeno babe bangu, Ifureimi na Manase banowobe bangu koga sa Rubheni na Simiyoni bali bangu.
- English6
Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.
African KalangaBamwe bana baungazwala shule kwabo banowobe babo. Banowolongwa mu mazina e bakulu babo kuyendidzana ne thaka yabo.
- English7
As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem).
African KalangaNdakati ndidwa ku Padani mmeyabo Rahele bakandifila mu shango ye Kanana titji mu zila, thambo futshwanana kudwa mu Efurati. Ndizo ndakababiganya pa whunde ye Efurati” (kodwiwa Bhetelehema).
- African Kalanga
Kukati Iziraela ebona bakololo ba Josefa, kabhuzwa kati, “Ndiboani ibaba?”
- English9
“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”
African KalangaJosefa kadabila eti, “Ibaba bakololo bangu bandakapiwa ne Ndzimu muno mu Egipiti.” Ipapo Jakubo kabe eti, “Ubazhise kundili kuti ndizo ndibakombolele.”
- English10
Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.
African KalangaMesho a Iziraela akabe asingatjabonesese ngokwegula, wakabe asingatjabone zubuyanana. Ndizo Josefa kasedzedza bakololo babe kuna tate babe ngono ibo bakabaputa bakabagumbatila.
- English11
Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”
African KalangaIziraela kati kuna Josefa, “Ndakabe ndisingakumbule kuti ndingakubona kakale, koga ngwenu Ndzimu wathama kuti ndibone bana babobo.”
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Josefa kabadusa pa makumbo a tate babe ngono kathigama kakotamisa nsholo uwe.
- English13
And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him.
African KalangaJosefa kabhata bana babe nge maboko, Ifureimi nge luboko gugwe gwe luji kunlingisanya nge gwe lumeshwe gwa tate babe, Manase nge lumeshwe kunlingisanya nge luji gwa tate babe ndizo kabasedzedza pa bali.
- English14
But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.
African KalangaKoga Iziraela katambunudza luboko gugwe gwe luji kagubiga pezhugwi kwe nsholo wa Ifureimi iye wakabe ali ntjetjana, ngono lumeshwe kagubiga pezhugwi kwe nsholo wa Manase eleyanya maboko awe, Manase ndiye wakabe ali mbano.
- English15
Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,
African KalangaKakombolela Josefa eti, “Ndzimu wakabe uwhiligwa ndi botate bangu, Abhurahama na Isaki, Ndzimu iwo wakabe nlisi wangu mu bupenyu gwangu gose kuswikila ngwenu.
- English16
the Angel who has delivered me from all harm -may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth.”
African KalangaNtumwa we kudzimu iye wakandigwila, mu mbatsha dzose ngaakombolele balisana ibaba, mubali zina langu ngalidwilidziwe, ne zina la botate bangu Abhurahama na Isaki, ngabawande babe banjinji mu shango.”
- English17
When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.
African KalangaJosefa kati ebona tate babe bebiga luboko gwe luji pezhugwi kwe nsholo wa Ifureimi kasishathe, ndizo kabhata luboko gwa tate babe kugudusa pa nsholo wa Ifureimi kugubiga pa nsholo wa Manase.
- English18
Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
African KalangaJosefa kabe eti kuna tate babe, “Akuzojalo tate, mbano ndiwoyu, bigani luboko gwenyu munli.”
- English19
But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”
African KalangaKoga tate babe bakalamba bakati, “Ndoziba, mwanangu, na iyebo unowobe itjaba tjikulukulu, kabe nkulu. Ne kwakajalo nnung'una uwe unowobe nkulu kumpinda ne ludzi gugwe gowobe tjaba.”
- English20
He blessed them that day and said, “In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.
African KalangaNdizo Jakubo kabakombolela mu zhuba ilelo eti, “Baiziraela banowokombolela ndimwi beti, ‘Ndzimu ngabakuthame munge Ifureimi na Manase.’ ” Nge zila iyeyo Jakubo katungamidza Ifureimi pana Manase.
- English21
Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.
African KalangaIpapo Iziraela kabe eti kuna Josefa, “Imi ndofa zwangu, Ndzimu unowobe namwi ukamubgwiliza ku shango ya botate benyu.
- English22
And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”
African KalangaIwe ndokupa gobe limwe landisingape bakulu babo ne banung'una babo, ndokupa ntuthu we Shekemu wandakatola mu Baamori nge thumo nenge dati ne nsebe.”
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.