The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Joshua 7English
Joshuwa 7African Kalanga
- English1
But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord ‘s anger burned against Israel.
African KalangaKoga Baiziraela bakabe ne kusagalikabgwe mu zwithu zwakabe zwakafanila piwa Ndzimu, kwakabe kuna nlume unodang'wa Akani, ali nkololo wa Khami, Khami ali nkololo wa Zabadi, Zabadi ali nkololo wa Zera we ludzi gwa Juda. Akani katola zwimwe zwija. Ndizo bushongola gusibushoma gwa Yahwe gukawila bathu be Iziraela.
- English2
Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
African KalangaBakati bali ku Jerikho Joshuwa katuma shodzi kuti dzinoshola nzi we Ai. Nzi we Ai wakabapa ne nzi we Batheveni ku bhezhuba kwe Bhetele. Joshuwa wakabadwa kati, “Yendani munoshola shango.” Ndizo shodzi dzikamilika dzikanoshola Ai.
- English3
When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the people will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary all the people, for only a few men are there.”
African KalangaBakabuya ngono bakadwa Joshuwa bakati, “Ai aute uli nzi nkulukulu, akutosheteka kuti utumile bathu bose kunounginilila. Ungatumila bathu bangabe zwiwulu zwili zwibili (2 000) kene zwitatu (3 000) koga.”
- African Kalanga
Ngono balume bangabhata zwiwulu zwitatu (3 000) bakamilika bakanonginilila nzi we Ai koga bakaswika bakatatamigwa ne balume be Ai,
- English5
who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
African Kalangabakabulaya balume be Iziraela bali makumi matatu ana bali batathatu (36), bakatatamila Baiziraela kudwapa nkoba we Ai kunoti ku Shebarimu bakabhata bebatemelela bali pakakungulukila ngono Baiziraela bakatemeka mafupa bakasala bakapelegwa ngotja balume be Ai.
- English6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.
African KalangaNgono Joshuwa kapalulanya zwiambalo zwizwe, kanamata akathigama mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe ngono kagala ipapo kuswikila madekwana, ngono iye ne batungamili be Iziraela bakazwilonga whuluba mu misholo yabo.
- English7
And Joshua said, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
African KalangaNgono Joshuwa katembezela eti, “Dumbu dumbu She Yahwe wangu whutini makatjuludza bathu ibaba gwizi gwe Jorodani kene? Kutilonga mu maboko e Baamori kuti babalobese kene tjini? Tingabe tiyijeng'o takashatha tili seli yeija ye Jorodani!
- African Kalanga
Ngono ngwenu She wangu ndingatjatini dumbu sakuno se Baiziraela batatamiligwa kutjena nge zwita zwabo!
- English9
The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?”
African KalangaBakanana ne bagali bose be shango iyeyi banowowha ngekwa ikoku bakatikombela bakanyeledza zina ledu mu shango. Apa mowobe mathamila zina lenyu bubuya kene?”
- African Kalanga
Yahwe bakadwa Joshuwa bakati, “Milika! Wakathingamilani?
- English11
Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.
African KalangaBaiziraela bakatjinya, abazoshingikadza tjidumano tjangu tjandakabadwa, bakatola zwimwe zwithu zwandakati zwisitogwe, bakazwikwiba bakanozwisumbika muna zwabo.
- English12
That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.
African KalangaNdizo wali Baiziraela bakong'wa ngolingisana ne zwita zwabo. Banotizha zwita zwabo ngobe bali pasi kwe bhiso. Anditjowobe namwi kuswikilila mudusa zwithu zwamunazo zwe pasi kwe bhiso.
- English13
“Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow; for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, O Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it.
African KalangaMilika, utjenapadze bathu, ubadwe uti, ‘Muzwitjenepadzeni muzwilulwamisile la mangwana ngobe mowomuka mushangana na Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu ibo banoleba beti, “Kuna zwithu zwipasi kwe bhiso mu muli, Baiziraela amutowotubula kumililana ne zwita zwenyu kuswikilila mudusa zwithu izwezo zwipasi kwe bhiso mu muli.”
- English14
“ ‘In the morning, present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the Lord takes shall come forward clan by clan; the clan that the Lord takes shall come forward family by family; and the family that the Lord takes shall come forward man by man.
African KalangaMangwana mangwanana muzhe nge njudzi dzenyu, ngono ludzi gunowobhakhwa ndi Yahwe gowozha nge misha yago, nsha unowobe wabhakhwa ndi Yahwe unowozha nge ng'umba, ng'umba yabhakhwa naiyo izhe nthu nng'ompela ne nng'ompela.
- English15
He who is caught with the devoted things shall be destroyed by fire, along with all that belongs to him. He has violated the covenant of the Lord and has done a disgraceful thing in Israel!’”
African KalangaNgono unowowang'wa nge zwithu izwezwi zwipasi kwe bhiso unowopisiwa nge moto nenge tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanatjo ngobe asalondolodza tjidumano tja Yahwe kakale akathama kuthu kunobhatisa shoni kwazo mu Iziraela.’ ”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Joshuwa kabinduka mangwanana kwazo kazhisa Baiziraela ludzi nge ludzi ngono kwakatogwa ludzi gwa Juda,
- English17
The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken.
African Kalangakazhisa misha ya Juda ngono kukatogwa nsha wa Zera, kadwapo kazhisa nsha wa Zera nlume nng'ompela ne nng'ompela ngono kudwapo katola Zabadi.
- English18
Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
African KalangaJoshuwa kazhisa nsha wa Zabadi ngono kukatogwa Akani nkololo wa Khami, Khami ali nkololo wa Zabadi, Zabadi ali nkololo wa Zera we ludzi gwa Juda.
- English19
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
African KalangaNgono Joshuwa kadwa Akani kati, “Nkololo wangu, kudza Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, ubape dendo. Undibudze tjawathama, usitongondisumbikila tjimwe.”
- English20
Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:
African KalangaAkani kashandula eti, “Malebeswa, ndatjinyila Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela. Yetji nditjo tjandakathama:
- English21
When I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
African KalangaTakati tili ku Jerikho abona hazu yakanaka ye Shinari ne mazana mabili e shekele dze siliva (200) ne golide ye bulemo gwe shekele dze siliva dzili makumi mashanu (50) ngono azwikwiba azha nazo. Ndakazwitshila mu nshasha wangu, ndakazwiwalila nge siliva.”
- English22
So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent, and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
African KalangaJoshuwa katuma batumwa ku nshasha wa Akani ngono bakazwiwana zwakasumbikiwa mu nshasha, zwakawaligwa nge siliva.
- English23
They took the things from the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites and spread them out before the Lord.
African KalangaBakazwitola bakazwiyisa kuna Joshuwa ne Baiziraela bose ngono bakaswika bezwiwala mbeli kwa Yahwe.
- English24
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor.
African KalangaJoshuwa ne Baiziraela bose bakatola Akani nkololo wa Zera ne siliva ne hazu ne golide ne bakololo ne bakololokadzi babe ne ng'ombe dzidze ne madonki awe ne pkhwizi ne mbudzi dzidze ne nshasha uwe ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanatjo bakayenda nazo ku nkuku we Akhori.
- English25
Joshua said, “Why have you brought this trouble on us? The Lord will bring trouble on you today.” Then all Israel stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.
African KalangaJoshuwa kan'dwa kati, “Mang'oni mangapani awatilonga muali kene? Yahwe banowokulonga mu mang'oni iyawa nasi.” Ipapo Baiziraela bose bakankikithidza nge mabgwe ngono kudwapo bakakikithidza bose bakabe basala bakabapisa nge moto.
- English26
Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.
African KalangaPezhugwi kwe itumbu tja Akani bakakowa n'gwi we mabgwe, na nasi n'gwi iwoyo utjiyapo. Ipapo Yahwe bakabuza moyo. Ndizo pathu ipapo kukadang'wa nkuku we Akhori.
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.