The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Joshua 2English
Joshuwa 2African Kalanga
- English1
Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.
African KalangaKwakati bathu be Iziraela bali ku Shitimu, Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni katuma shodzi mbili mu ikowha eti, “Endani munoshola shango, tjikulu bukulu kwazo nzi nkulu Jerikho.” Ngono bakamilika bakayenda. Bakaswika pa ng'umba ye fukula imwe, zina layo kuyi Rahabu ngono bakaizela gwe whope.
- English2
The king of Jericho was told, “Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”
African KalangaNgono kukanotjetiwa kuna mambo we Jerikho kuyi, “Bamwe balume be Baiziraela bazha busiku ngeno kuwoshola shango.”
- English3
So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
African KalangaNdizo mambo we Jerikho katumila dama kuna Rahabu eti, “Zhisa balume ibabo bamu ng'umba iyo, ngobe bazha kuwoshola shango yose koga.”
- English4
But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.
African KalangaNgono Rahabu wakabe atola balume ibabo babili kabasumbika, ngono kati “Malebeswa, balume ibaba bazha kundili, koga andizobe ndiziba kwababe bedwa.
- English5
At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don’t know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them.”
African KalangaNgono kwati kwabhata, nkoba we nzi nkulu wabe pejo ngo zhaligwa bakabe bebhuda beyenda, mubalonde tjinyolotjo pamwe swiyo mungababhata batji mu zila.”
- English6
(But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.)
African KalangaKoga Rahabu wakabe atola balume ibabo abasumbika mu denga le ng'umba akabafumika nge mashanga.
- English7
So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.
African KalangaNdizo batumwa ba mambo bakabhuda bakatobela shodzi bali mu zila inoyenda ku gwizi gwe Jorodani kunoti pa zila painotjuluka gwizi gwe Jorodani, kwakati koga batumwa ba mambo basinobhuda, nkoba we nzi nkulu ukazhaligwa.
- African Kalanga
Shodzi dzakati dzisathu dzikanoyisa mafupa ku beni, Rahabu kayenda kunodzilezwa ku denga
- English9
and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
African Kalangangono kaswika edzidwa eti, “Ndoziba kuti Yahwe bamupa shango iyeyi ne kuti kakale kutja kukulu kwatiwila, tose bagali be shango iyeyi totetema nge lutjo nge kwenyu.
- English10
We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.
African KalangaTakawha Yahwe sekwa bakathama Gungwa Shaba kuti lipkhwe kuthama kuti ndizo mutubule tjuluka tjibaka tjamakabe mudwa ku Egipiti ne tjamakathama kuna bomambo be Baamori baku bhezhuba kwe Jorodani Sihoni na Ogi ibo bamakabulaya.
- English11
When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
African KalangaTakati tiwha nge kwako, tikapaluka mimoyo, mmwe ne mmwe kapelegwa nge simba nge kwenyu ngobe Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu ndibo Ndzimu we kudzimu ne shango.
- English12
Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
African KalangaNdizo ngwenu tjitunani na Yahwe kuti se ndamuthamila lubu namwi mowothamila nsha wangu lubu. Mundipe tjilakidzo kuti ndizo ndigalebgwe,
- English13
that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.”
African Kalangamundigadzebgwe kuti mowoletja mme na tate ne hazwadzi dzangu ne bana badzo bakatjila. Mutitjidze!”
- English14
“Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
African KalangaShodzi dzakashandula Rahabu dziti, “Tobiga misholo yedu mu zwitsha! Ha iwe usingake ukaleba nja wedu pano towokuthamila lubu ha Yahwe betipa shango iyeyi.”
- English15
So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall.
African KalangaNdizo Rahabu kabaletja bakadeluka nge ntjili bebhuda nge fesitere le ng'umba ngobe ng'umba iye yakabe yakabakigwa mu guma le nzi nkulu.
- English16
Now she had said to them, “Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way.”
African KalangaRahabu kadwa shodzi kati, “Endilani ku matombo kuti ndizo batumwa ba mambo basitongomubona. Mubgwate ikoko mazhuba matatu kudza bebuya ndizo shule kwa ipapo mungayenda zwenyu zila dzenyu.”
- African Kalanga
Shodzi dzikan'dwa dzikati, “Kutuna kwatatuna akutowobe tjisungo mutili
- English18
unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.
African Kalangakuzhe kwe kuti tingati tinginilila nzi nkulu tikawana wakasungila nsungo nshaba mu fesitere le ng'umba ileli lawatidusa ndilo ne kuzhe kwe kuti ube watola mmeyabo na tate babo ne hazwadzi dzidzo ne be nsha uwo bose wabakubunganyila mu ng'umba iyo.
- English19
If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
African KalangaHa mmwe wenyu angabhudila zwe kuzhe kwe ng'umba iyo kabe enoshangana ne whubadzi ngono kafa, nge kukwe, iswi towobe tisina nlandu. Koga mmwe ne mmwe unawe mu ng'umba ha anga kubala kafa lopa lile lishakiwe mutile.”
- African Kalanga
Koga ha ungadza ukaleba nja wedu pano iswi towobe tasununguka mu kutuna kwawatithama kuti titune.
- English21
“Agreed,” she replied. “Let it be as you say.” So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.
African KalangaNgono Rahabu akadabila eti, “Ngakushingikale sekwa munoleba.” Ndizo kawonekana nabo ngono bakayenda. Rahabu kabe esungilila nsungo nshaba mu fesitere le ng'umba.
- English22
When they left, they went into the hills and stayed there three days, until the pursuers had searched all along the road and returned without finding them.
African KalangaShodzi dzikamilika dzikayenda ku matombo ngono dzikanobgwatako kwe mazhuba ali matatu. Batumwa ba mambo bakadzishaka kuyenda ne zila ngono bakadzisheta. Ndizo bakabgwilila basadzibona.
- English23
Then the two men started back. They went down out of the hills, forded the river and came to Joshua son of Nun and told him everything that had happened to them.
African KalangaBalume babili be shodzi bakadwapo bedelukila matombo bakalinga ku gwizi gwe Jorodani ngono bakagutjuluka. Bakaswika bebikila Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakabashingikalila.
- English24
They said to Joshua, “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands; all the people are melting in fear because of us.”
African KalangaBakadwa Joshuwa bakati, “Nge malebeswa Yahwe batipa shango iyeyi yose, bathu bose banotetema nge lutjo nge kwedu.”
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.