The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Joshua 8English
Joshuwa 8African Kalanga
- English1
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.
African KalangaYahwe bakadwa Joshuwa bakati, “Usitje kakale usitemeke mafupa, tola babhayani bose uyende unonginilila nzi we Ai, bona ndakupa mambo we Ai ne bathu babe ne nzi uwe ne shango iye kuti ubakunde.
- English2
You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
African KalangaUthame nzi we Ai ne mambo wawo koga sekwa wakathama mambo we Jerikho ne nzi we Jerikho, koga ngwenu mungazwitolela zwithuwo zwabo ne thundu dzabo. Mubalalile shule kwe nzi.”
- English3
So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night
African KalangaJoshuwa ne babhayani bose bakamilika bakalinga ku nzi we Ai, Joshuwa wakabe ashalula balume bakasima bali zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu (30 000) kabatumila busiku kunolalila bathu be Ai
- English4
with these orders: “Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don’t go very far from it. All of you be on the alert.
African Kalangange ndaulo inoti, “Bhulutanani kwazo. Yendani munolalila bathu be Ai shule kwe nzi wabo, musitongo yendila kulekule nawo. Mose koga mugale makateya zebe.
- English5
I and all those with me will advance on the city, and when the men come out against us, as they did before, we will flee from them.
African KalangaNgono imi ne bamwe bose banami towononginilila Ai tingina tili mbeli kwe nzi ngono bathu be Ai banoti bezha kuwotigwisa koga se kutanga, towotizha.
- English6
They will pursue us until we have lured them away from the city, for they will say, ‘They are running away from us as they did before.’ So when we flee from them,
African KalangaBanowotitatamila kuswikila tabakwebela kulekule ne nzi wabo ndizo banowobe bezwidwa beti, ‘Banotitizha koga se kutanga.’ Ndizo atatizha tatjibe kule kule,
- English7
you are to rise up from ambush and take the city. The Lord your God will give it into your hand.
African Kalangaimwi mube mubhuda pa makabalalila mutole nzi wabo. Yahwe Ndzimu wedu banowomupa simba le kubakunda.
- English8
When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the Lord has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.”
African KalangaAmusinotola nzi we Ai mube muupisa nge moto. Muthame sekwakaleba Yahwe. Mubone kuti moshinga tjandinoleba”
- English9
Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai–but Joshua spent that night with the people.
African KalangaNdizo Joshuwa kadwa babhayani bali zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu (30 000) kuti batjiyenda kunolalila bathu be Ai. Malalilo abo akabe ali pakati kwe nzi we Bhetele ne ku golombedzo kwe Ai, koga Joshuwa iye kasala ne bamwe bakasala ku bukotokelo.
- English10
Early the next morning Joshua mustered his men, and he and the leaders of Israel marched before them to Ai.
African KalangaTjimuka mangwanana Joshuwa ne batungamili be Iziraela bakalulwamisa babhayani, ngono bakamilika bakatungamila babhayani kuyenda ku Ai.
- English11
The entire force that was with him marched up and approached the city and arrived in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai, with the valley between them and the city.
African KalangaBalume bose be babhayani bakabe banaye bakasedzela ku nzi we Ai ngono bakanokotokela mbeli kwe nzi ku bunandzwa gwe Ai bakapalalanyiwa nge nkuku pakati kwabo ne nzi.
- English12
Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
African KalangaJoshuwa wakadwa balume bangabhata zwiwulu zwili zwishanu (5 000) kuti banolalila bathu be Ai bali pakati kwe nzi we Bhetele ne we Ai kunomila zhuba kwe nzi.
- English13
They had the soldiers take up their positions–all those in the camp to the north of the city and the ambush to the west of it. That night Joshua went into the valley.
African KalangaBakalulwamisa babhayani bakatola mamo abo, bose bakabe bali mu bukotokelo bakabe bali ku bunandzwa, bakabe bakalalila bathu be Ai ku golombedzo. Joshuwa iye kayenda ku nkuku we Jorodani.
- English14
When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city.
African KalangaKwakati mambo we Ai ebona babhayani ba Joshuwa, iye ne babhayani babe bose bakabinduka mu mangwanana makulu kunoshangana ne Baiziraela ku tjibata tje Araba kugwa nabo. Koga bakabe basinga zibe kuti kuna babhayani bakabalalila shule kwe nzi.
- English15
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the desert.
African KalangaJoshuwa ne Baiziraela bose bakazwithama se bakundiwa ngono bakatizhila kuyendila ku tjilambanyika.
- English16
All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city.
African KalangaBalume bose be Ai bakadang'wa kuti babalonde, ngono bakalonda babhayani ba Joshuwa ngono bakabe kulekule ne nzi.
- English17
Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.
African KalangaKwakasala kusina ndodwa ne mbhayani nng'ompela wakasala mu Ai, bose bakatobela Baiziraela.
- English18
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his javelin toward Ai.
African KalangaNdizo Yahwe bakadwa Joshuwa bakati, “Tola thumo limu luboko gugo utendeke ku nzi we Ai, ngoti ngwenu mowokunda bathu be Ai.” Ndizo Joshuwa katendeka nsebe ku nzi we Ai.
- English19
As soon as he did this, the men in the ambush rose quickly from their position and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it and quickly set it on fire.
African KalangaWakati koga ethama saikoku babhayani bakabe bakalalila bakamilika tjinyolotjo pabakabe balipo bakangina mu nzi bakatola nzi, tjinyolotjo bakaupisa nge moto.
- English20
The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising against the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction, for the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the desert had turned back against their pursuers.
African KalangaBalume be Ai bakati belinga shule kwabadwa bakabona bhulubusi lithungailila ku makole, ngono bakashaya kwabangatizhila, ngobe Baiziraela bakabe betizha bakalinga ku tjilambanyika bakabe bashandukila zwita zwabo.
- English21
For when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that smoke was going up from the city, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai.
African KalangaNgono Joshuwa ne babhayani babe naibo bakabona bhulubusi ngono bakaziba kuti Baiziraela bamwe banginilila nzi we Ai. Ndizo bakashanduka bakabulaya balume be Ai.
- English22
The men of the ambush also came out of the city against them, so that they were caught in the middle, with Israelites on both sides. Israel cut them down, leaving them neither survivors nor fugitives.
African KalangaBalume bamwe bakazhabo kuwonginilila Baiziraela ngono bakazwiwana bakakombiwa ne balume be babhayani be Baiziraela ngono bakababulaya bose.
- African Kalanga
Koga mambo we Ai iye bakasimbulaye, bakantola ali mpenyu ngono bakansa kuna Joshuwa.
- English24
When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai in the fields and in the desert where they had chased them, and when every one of them had been put to the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and killed those who were in it.
African KalangaBaiziraela bakati basinopedza bulaya balume be Ai ku tjibata tje tjilambanyika kwabakabe batatigwa, mmwe ne mmwe wabo bakampedzisa nge thumo, Baiziraela bakashandukila ku Ai bakanobulaya bose bakabe batjatjila mu Ai.
- African Kalanga
Mu zhuba ilelo balume be Baiziraela bakabulaya bathu bose mu nzi we Ai. Bakabulaya balume ne bakadzi bali zwiwulu zwili gumi ling'ompela lina bali babili (12 000),
- English26
For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai.
African KalangaJoshuwa wakaletjedza thumo lile lakatendeka ku nzi we Ai kuswikilila mmwe ne mmwe unogala mu Ai abulawa.
- English27
But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.
African KalangaKoga Baiziraela bakazwitolegwa thundu ne zwithuwo Yahwe sekwa bakabe badwa Joshuwa.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Joshuwa kapisa nzi we Ai kukasala ili duthu le matongo kuswikila nasi.
- English29
He hung the king of Ai on a tree and left him there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered them to take his body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And they raised a large pile of rocks over it, which remains to this day.
African KalangaJoshuwa wakasungilila mambo we Ai mu nti kuswikilila madekwana, kwakati zhuba lomila Joshuwa kadwa bathu kuti badeluse mambo we Ai mu nti ngono balashile itumbu tjitje pa nkoba we nzi. Bakabutitika mabgwe asimashoma pezhugwi kukwe. Mabgwe iyawo na nasi atjiyapo.
- African Kalanga
Kudwapo Joshuwa wakabakila Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo mu Dombo le Ebali,
- English31
as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses–an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the Lord burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings.
African Kalangakoga Mushe sekwa akabe abudza Baiziraela. Wakabaka tjibeso koga sekwa kwakabe kwakakwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe nlayo gwa Mushe kuyi, “Tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tjakafanila thamwa nge mabgwe azhele asakabezhiwa kakale asakatongo bezhiwa nge tshipi.” Mutjili bakapisila Yahwe zwibhayilo bakazhisa ne zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa zwe mbakisano.
- English32
There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua copied on stones the law of Moses, which he had written.
African KalangaJoshuwa kati ali ipapo mbeli kwe Baiziraela kakopela mu bgwe nlayo wakakwagwa ndi Mushe.
- English33
All Israel, aliens and citizens alike, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing those who carried it–the priests, who were Levites. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.
African KalangaBaiziraela bose ne bazhi ne beni be shango ne bakulu be nzi ne balauli ne basumikilisi, bakabe bali mile whunde ne Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe bali mbeli kwe bapirisiti bakabe bali Balevi. Gwamu limwe le bathu lakabe lilimile mbeli kwe Dombo le Gerizimu ngono limwe lilimile mbeli kwe Dombo le Ebali koga sekwa Mushe nlada wa Yahwe akabe adusa ndaulo kutanga kuti kushigwe saikoku akupiwa dothodzo.
- English34
Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law–the blessings and the curses–just as it is written in the Book of the Law.
African KalangaKwakati shule Joshuwa kabala matama wose e nlayo, e makombolelo ne e bhiso koga sekwa kwakakwagwa mu Lukwalo gwe nlayo.
- English35
There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the aliens who lived among them.
African KalangaAkuna ndodwa nge dama ne ling'ompela lakabe lalebgwa ndi Mushe lisakabagwa ndi Joshuwa mbeli kwe gubungano lose le Iziraela ne bakadzi ne bana ne bazhi bose babakabe begala nabo.
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.