The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Joshua 17English
Joshuwa 17African Kalanga
- English1
This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh’s firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers.
African KalangaLudzi gwa Manase mbano ya Josefa gwakakobegwa shango sawhoku: Makiri mbano ya Manase, kakale ali tate ba Giliyadi ngobe ali mbhayani wakakobegwa nge hakata nzi we Giliyadi ne Bhashani.
- English2
So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh–the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph by their clans.
African KalangaLudzi gwa Manase gwakabe gwasala gwakakobegwabo shango nge misha yabo ndegwa bo Abiyezeri na Heleki na Asiriele na Shekemu na Heferi na Shemida, ibaba bakabe bali bakololo ba Manase, Manase ali nkololo wa Josefa kakale bakabe bali ibo misholo ye misha yabo.
- English3
Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.
African KalangaNgono Zelofehadi nkololo wa Heferi, Heferi ali nkololo wa Giliyadi, Giliyadi ali nkololo wa Makiri, Makiri ali nkololo wa Manase wakabe asina bana be tjilisana ana bakololokadzi koga ngono mazina abo akabe ali sawhoku: Mahila na Nuwa na Hogila na Milika na Tireza.
- English4
They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord ‘s command.
African KalangaBakayenda kuna Eleazari we mpirisiti na Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni ne batungamili ngono bakabadwa bakati, “Yahwe bakadwa Mushe kuti atikobelebo shango pakati kwe hama dzedu dze balume.” Ndizo koga Yahwe sekwa bakabe baleba, Joshuwa kabakobela shango pakati kwe hama dza tate babo kuti ibe thaka yabo.
- English5
Manasseh’s share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan,
African KalangaGobe le ludzi gwa Manase lakabe mituthu ili gumi kuzhe kwe nzi we Giliyadi ne Bhashani bhezhuba kwe Jorodani,
- English6
because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.
African Kalangangoti bakololokadzi bakabe bakakobegwabo thaka pakati kwe bakololo babe. Shango ye Giliyadi yakabe yakobegwa bathu be Manase.
- English7
The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Micmethath east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah.
African KalangaNtuthu wa Manase wakabe utangisa mu Asheri unoti ku Mikimethati ku bhezhuba kwe Shekemu. N'gathu iwo wakabe uyenda wakalinga ku burwa ku bagali be Enitapuwa.
- English8
(Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.)
African KalangaShango ye Tapuwa yakabe ili ya Manase koga nzi we Tapuwa nge kwawo wakabe uli ku n'gathu wa Manase wakabe uli we Baifureimi.
- English9
Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the sea.
African KalangaKudwapo n'gathu wakadwilila wakalinga ku burwa gwe nkuku we Kana. Kwakabe kuna mizi ya Ifureimi yakabe yakashangana ne mizi ya Manase koga n'gathu wa Manase wakabe uli ku bunandzwa kwe nkuku upelela ku gungwa.
- English10
On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
African KalangaKu burwa kwakabe kuli shango ya Ifureimi, ku bunandzwa kuli ya Manase gungwa guli igo n'gathu ngono gubhatshanya shango ya Asheri ku bunandzwa neya Isakari iyo ili ku bhezhuba.
- English11
Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth).
African KalangaMuna Isakari ne muna Asheri Manase wakatola mizi ye Bhetisheani ne mizana yayo Ibileyamu ne mizana yayo ne bathu be Dori ne Enidori neye Taanaki ne Megido ne mizana yakaipoteleka, yakabe ili ya Manase we butatu ili Nafoti.
- English12
Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region.
African KalangaKoga bana ba Manase abazotubula tola mizi iyeyo ngobe Bakanana bakadwilila begala koga mu mizi iyeyo.
- English13
However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.
African KalangaKoga Baiziraela bakati batjisima, bakakombeledza Bakanana kushinga zwinolema koga bakasibatatile kutjena.
- English14
The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”
African KalangaKwakati limwe zhuba bathu be ludzi gwa Josefa bakalebeleka na Joshuwa beti, “Yahwe bakatikombolela tikabe banjinji, koga matipa gwamu gu ng'ompela gwe shango koga.”
- English15
“If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites.”
African KalangaNgono Joshuwa kabashandula eti, “Ha muli banjinji, shango ye Ifureimi isinga mulizane yendani ku shango ye Baperizi neye Barafa muzwitemele iyo mu gale.”
- English16
The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
African KalangaBathu be ludzi gwa Josefa bakashandula beti, “Shango ye matombo ye Ifureimi aizotilizana kakale Bakanana banogala mu nkuku bana koloyi dze butale kose ne banogala mu Bhetisheani ne kupoteleka ne banogala mu nkuku we Jezirele.”
- English17
But Joshua said to the house of Joseph–to Ephraim and Manasseh-”You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment
African KalangaKoga Joshuwa kadwa Ifureimi na Manase ibo be ng'umba ya Josefa eti, “Malebeswa, mu banjinji kakale makasima dumbu amungapiwe gwamu gu ng'ompela koga gwe shango,
- English18
but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
African Kalangakoga tolani shango ye matombo inowobe yenyu. Nenguba ili ishaka temani koga muyenda mbeli mowoma pa munowoma nenguba Bakanana bana koloyi dze butale kakale bakasima.”
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.