The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Genesis 50English
Kutangisa 50African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Josefa kazwilashila pezhugwi kwa tate babe kabalilila, kabaputa.
- English2
Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,
African KalangaJosefa kadwa ng'anga dzakabe dzili pasi kukwe kuti dziwomese itumbu tja tate babe. Ndizo ng'anga dzikawomesa Jakubo.
- English3
taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
African KalangaBakatola mazhuba ali makumi manna ngoti tjili itjo tjibaka tjakalizana kuwomesa itumbu. Baegipiti bakatola mazhuba ali makumi ali kutendeka belilila Jakubo.
- English4
When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him,
African KalangaKukati mazhuba e kunlilila apela, Josefa kalebeleka ne be ng'umba ya Faro eti, “Ha mundiwhila ngoni ndomukumbila kuti mundikumbilile kuna Faro muti,
- English5
‘My father made me swear an oath and said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’”
African Kalanga‘Tate bangu bakati babe pejo ngofa, bakathama kuti nditune kudumana ngekuti ndowobabiganya mu ikumbu tjabakazwitshila mu shango ye Kanana. Ndizo mundiletje ndiyende ndinobiganya tate ndikobuya zwangu.’ ”
- African Kalanga
Faro kadabila eti, “Yenda unobiganya tate babo sekwa wakatuna kuti unowothama.”
- English7
So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him–the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt–
African KalangaNdizo Josefa kayenda kunobiganya tate babe. Hadzasha dza Faro dzose dzikayenda naye ne makombgwa e ng'umba iye ne bakulu bose be shango ye Egipiti.
- English8
besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.
African KalangaNsha wa Josefa na iwo ukayenda wose ne bakulu babe ne ng'umba ya tate babe yose. Kwakasala bana koga ne zwithuwo mu shango ye Gosheni.
- African Kalanga
Koloyi dze ngwa ne babhayani bakatatha mbizi bakayenda naye. Lakabe lili goko gulu gulu.
- English10
When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father.
African KalangaBakati beswika pa lutombo gwe Atadi pa whunde ye Jorodani bakalila kunogwadza ngono Josefa kagala nabo ipapo mazhuba ali kutendeka elilila tate babe.
- English11
When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.” That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.
African KalangaKwakati bagali be Kanana bebona tjililo itjetjo pa lutombo bakati, “Etji tjililo tjinowhisa zogwadza tje Baegipiti.” Ndizo bakatumila magalo iyawo beti Abelemizirayimu. Magalo iyawa apa whunde ye Jorodani.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo bana ba Jakubo bakanthamila sekwa akabadwa.
- English13
They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field.
African KalangaBakansengela ku shango ye Kanana bakambiganya mu guwu limu nnda ku Makipela pejo ne Mamure, wakatengwa ndi Abhurahama muna Efuroni we Nhiti kube zwikumbu.
- English14
After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
African KalangaJosefa kabgwilila ku Egipiti ne bakulu babe na bose bakabe bayenda naye kunobiganya tate babe.
- English15
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”
African KalangaBakulu ba Josefa bakati be bona tate babo bafa bakalebesana beti, “Towotini ha ili kuti pamwe Josefa utjakatibhata nge moyo ngono ebe etibgwilizila mbipo yatakanthamila?”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo bakayenda kuna Josefa bakati kunli, “Tate babo bakafa besiya bati,
- English17
‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
African Kalangatidwe Josefa titi: ‘Ndokukumbila, uzwiibhatigwe bakulu babo nlandu ne mbipo yabakakuthama.’ Ndizo ngwenu wali tokumbila, uzwiibhatigwe balanda be Ndzimu wa tate babo.” Bakati ipapo belebeleka na Josefa kalila.
- English18
His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
African KalangaBakulu babe bakathigama mbeli kukwe, ngono bakati kunli, “Iswi ti balanda benyu.”
- African Kalanga
Koga Josefa kati ku bali, “Musitje. Apa imi ndi mu tjimo tje Ndzimu kene?
- English20
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
African KalangaNenguba makabe mazwimisila kundithama tjakabipa, Ndzimu wakathama kuti tjibe tjakanaka kutjidza bathu banjinji sekwa unothama sangwenu.
- English21
So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
African KalangaNdizo musitje, imi ndowomutjengeta imwi ne bana benyu.” Josefa kabanyaladza nge matama iyawa, elebeleka nabo nge buthu.
- English22
Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years
African KalangaJosefa kagala mu Egipiti ne ng'umba ya tate babe ngono katjila makole ali zana lina makole ali gumi (110).
- English23
and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.
African KalangaJosefa katjila kabona tjizekugwana tje butatu tje bana ba Ifureimi. Kabona ne bana ba Makiri nkololo wa Manase.
- English24
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
African KalangaJosefa kadwa bakulu babe kati, “Imi ndabe pejo ngofa, koga Ndzimu unowomubhatsha ukamudusa mu shango iyeyi kumuyisa ku shango yawakagadzabgwe Abhurahama na Isaki na Jakubo.”
- English25
And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
African KalangaNdizo Josefa kadwa Baiziraela kati tunani kuti, “Ndzimu unowoti umudusa mu shango iyeyi, mukasenga mafupa angu mukayenda nawo.”
- English26
So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
African KalangaJosefa kafa ana makole ali zana lina makole ali gumi (110). Wakawomisiwa kalongwa mu bhokisi mu Egipiti.
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.