The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Job 1English
Jobe 1African Kalanga
- English1
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
African KalangaKwakati kukabe ne nlume mu shango ye Uzi, zina lile kuyi Jobe, wakabe ali nthu usina nlandu, wakatambunuka, unotja Ndzimu kakale unoleya mbipo.
- African Kalanga
Jobe wakabe ana bakololo bali kutendeka ne bakololokadzi bali batatu,
- English3
and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
African Kalangawakabe ana pkhwizi dzili zwiwulu zwili kutendeka (7 000) ne kamela dzili zwiwulu zwili zwitatu (3 000) ne majokwi e ng'ombe ali mazana mashanu (500) ne madonki makadzi ali mazana mashanu (500) ne balanda bali banjinji kwazo. Ndizo wakabe ali nthu wakafuma kwazo mu bathu bose baku bhezhuba.
- English4
His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
African KalangaBakololo ba Jobe bakabe begala belabana kuthama nzano mu misha yabo, ngono bakabe bekoka hazwadzi dzabo kuti bawoja ne kung'wa nabo.
- English5
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
African KalangaKwakabe kuti mazhuba e nzano awila Jobe wakabe etumila bathu kuti bana babe badang'we kuti abatjenapadze, wakabe ebinduka mangwanana edusila mmwe ne mmwe wabo tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa ngobe wakabe ekumbula kuti bangadwa bakathama tjibi kakale bakatuka Ndzimu mu mimoyo yabo. Jobe wakabe ethama sa ikoku zwibaka zose.
- English6
One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
African KalangaNgono kwakati limwe zhuba bakololo be Ndzimu bakazha kuwozwilakidza mbeli kwa Yahwe, Satani kazhabo nabo.
- English7
The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”
African KalangaYahwe bakabhuzwa Satani beti, “Unodwa ngayi?” Satani kadabila Yahwe eti, “Ndodwa kuyendayenda mu shango ne kupotelekapoteleka muili.”
- English8
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakabhuzwa Satani beti, “Apa wabe ne hanya ngekwe nlanda wangu Jobe kene? Akuna nthu unonga iye mu shango, nthu usina nlandu, wakatambunuka kakale unotja Ndzimu kakale unoleya mbipo.”
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Satani kadabila eti, “Apa moti Jobe unomutjila suli kene?
- English10
“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.
African KalangaApa amuzombakilila nge bhakasa iye nebe nsha uwe nenge tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanatjo kene? Makakombolela tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaakashinga nge maboko awe kakale makampa zwithuwo zwinjinji zwizhele shango.
- English11
But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
African KalangaKoga tambunudzani luboko gwenyu mubulaye tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanatjo, unowomutuka patjena!”
- English12
The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakati kuna Satani, “Kwakalulwama, tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanatjo ndotjilonga mu luboko gugo koga iye nge kukwe usitongobuya ukankutha nge tjinyala tjitjo!” Ndizo Satani kadwa mbeli kwa Yahwe kayenda.
- English13
One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house,
African KalangaKwakati limwe zhuba bakololo ne bakololokadzi ba Jobe bakabe bali mu nzano beja beng'wa nkumbi we zhambi ku nsha we whola yabo,
- English14
a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
African Kalangakukazha ntumwa kuna Jobe kabe eti, “Ng'ombe dzabe dzilima ngono madonki efula tjapejo,
- English15
and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
African Kalangangono bathu be Sheba bazha bakadzinginilila bakadzitakula bakayenda nadzo. Babulaya balanda bose nge thumo. Ndimi ndonga ndasiya kuwomuzibisa!”
- English16
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
African KalangaNtumwa wakati asathu awidza matama awe mmwe ntumwa kazha kati, “Moto we Ndzimu waloba pkhwizi ne balisi bose. Ndimi ndoga ndapudzumuka kuzha ndiwomuzibisa.”
- English17
While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
African KalangaNtumwa wakati atjalebeleka mmwe ntumwa kazha eti, “Bakhaladiya bazha bakazwibumba makupo matatu bakanginilila dzikamela bakadzitola bakayenda nadzo. Babulaya balanda bose nge thumo ndimi ndoga ndasala kuwomuzibisa!”
- English18
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house,
African KalangaNlanda wakati atjalebeleka mmwe nlanda kazha eti, “Bakololo ne bakololokadzi benyu babe beja beng'wa nkumbi we zhambi bali ku nsha we whola yabo,
- English19
when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”
African Kalangatjinyolotjo kukazha dutu lidwa ku tjilambanyika likavuna phanda nna dze ng'umba, ngono ng'umba ikabawila ngono bafa bose, ndimi ndoga ndasala kuwomuzibisa.”
- English20
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
African KalangaIpapo Jobe kamilika kapalula zwiambalo zwizwe, katesela nsholo uwe, kawila pasi kanamata.
- English21
and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”
African KalangaNgono kati, “Ndakazwagwa ndili mbujo, ndowobgwilila ndili mbujo, Yahwe bakapa, Yahwe batola. Ngakukudziwe zina la Yahwe!”
- African Kalanga
Muna ikoku kose Jobe ha aazotjinya kene kuli kutendeka Ndzimu nge tjinyala.
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.