The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Joshua 9English
Joshuwa 9African Kalanga
- English1
Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things–those in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)-
African KalangaKwakati bomambo bakabe begala kunomila zhuba kwe gwizi gwe Jorodani mu shango ye matombo ne shango yakawila ne yakabapisa Gungwa Bukulu kuyendila ku shango ye Lebanoni neye Bahiti neye Baamori neye Bakanana neye Baperizi neye Bahivi neye Bajebusi bewha ngekwe kukunda kwe Baiziraela,
- African Kalanga
bakazwibhatshanya bakabe tjithu tjing'ompela kugwa na Joshuwa ne Baiziraela.
- African Kalanga
Bathu be Gibiyoni bakati bewha kuti Joshuwa wakathamilani nzi we Jerikho ne we Ai,
- English4
they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.
African Kalanganaibo bakaluka maano, bakatola masaka akashakala ne makukhwa e nkumbi we zhambi akalongwa zwibata,
- English5
The men put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.
African Kalangabakaambala bokhwebana bakaphetjiwabo ne zwiambalo zwakashakala. Zojiwa zwabo zose zwakabe zwakawomelela kakale zwakavuva.
- English6
Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.”
African KalangaNgono bakayenda kuna Joshuwa ku bukotokelo gwe Baiziraela ku Giligala ngono bakaswika bedwa Joshuwa ne balume be Baiziraela beti, “Todwa ku shango ikule kule ngono tokumbila muthame tjidumano tje mbakiso naswi.”
- English7
The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?”
African KalangaNgono balume be Baiziraela bakabhuzwa Bahivi ibaba beti, “Ngatitini mogala pejo naswi, tingathama tjidumano tje mbakiso namwi tjini wali kene?”
- English8
“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”
African KalangaNgono bakashandula Joshuwa beti, “Ti balanda benyu.” Koga Joshuwa kababhuzwa eti, “Ndimwi boani kakale modwa ngayi?”
- English9
They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,
African KalangaBakanshandula beti, “Balanda benyu, banodwa ku shango ikule kule ngekwe ndumbidzo ya Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu na zose zwabakashinga ku Egipiti
- English10
and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan–Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.
African Kalangane tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabakathama bomambo babili be Baamori, Sihoni mambo we Heshibhoni na Ogi mambo we Bhashani wakabe egala ku Ashitaroti.
- English11
And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.” ‘
African KalangaBatungamili bedu ne bathu bose be shango yedu banogala mu shango yedu bakatidwa beti, ‘Tolani mbuba mululwamisile gwendo munoshangana nabo ngono muswike mubadwe muti, “Ti balanda benyu, thamani tjidumano tje mbakiso naswi,” ’
- English12
This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.
African KalangaBonani zojiwa zwedu, zwakabe zwipisa patakamilika tizha ngeno ngono ngwenu bonani zwatjiwomelela kakale zwavuva,
- English13
And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.”
African Kalangamakukhwa edu e nkumbi we zhambi akabe ali matshwa patakaadila nkumbi ngono ngwenu sekwa munobona atjipubuka. Zwiambalo zwedu ne shangu dzedu dzatjishakala nge gwendo bulefu.”
- African Kalanga
Baiziraela bakanokola zojiwa bakalabila basashakisisa nge kwako muna Yahwe.
- English15
Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.
African KalangaNgono Joshuwa kathama tjidumano tje mbakiso nabo kabaletjedza bakagala nabo, ne batungamili be gubungano bakasisithila nge kutuna.
- English16
Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.
African KalangaKwakati shule kwe mazhuba matatu basino thama tjidumano tje mbakiso ne bathu be Gibiyoni, Baiziraela bakawha kuti Bagibiyoni babakidzani babo.
- English17
So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.
African KalangaNdizo Baiziraela bakamilika bakatola gwendo kukati shule kwe mazhuba matatu bakanoti ku mizi yabo ye Gibiyoni ne Khefira ne Bheeroti ne Kiriatijearimu.
- English18
But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders,
African KalangaKoga Baiziraela bakasibanginilile ngobe batungamili be gubungano bakabe batuna na Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela. Gubungano lakang'ong'ola ngekwe batungamili nge kwako
- English19
but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.
African Kalangakoga batungamili bakadwa gubungano beti, “Takatuna kale na Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, kuti atingalonge bathu ibaba luboko.
- English20
This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.”
African KalangaNgono ngwenu etji nditjo tjatinowothama nge kwabo. Ngobe takatuna kale towobaletja bakatjila kuti ndizo bushongola gwe Ndzimu gusitiwile ngosashingikadza Tjidumano tjedu nabo.”
- English21
They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.
African KalangaBatungamili bakabadwa beti, “Mubaletje bagale, koga banowobe batemi be whuni ne batjeli be vula betjelela gubungano lose.” Ndizo batungamili bakashingikadza tjabakabe bagadzabgwe.
- English22
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us?
African KalangaNdizo Joshuwa kadana balume be Gibiyoni ngono kabadwa kati, “Ini matitjengela nge kutidwa muti, ‘Togala kulekule namwi,’ koga mu gala ipapa pejo pejo naswi kene?
- English23
You are now under a curse: You will never cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
African KalangaMuna bhiso, mowogala koga muli batemi be whuni ne batjeli be vula be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu wangu kuswikilila.”
- English24
They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.
African KalangaBakadabila Joshuwa beti, “Balanda benyu bakabudziwa zubuyanana kuti Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu bakadwa nlada wabo Mushe kuti amupe shango yose ne kuti mulobese bagali bose bayo. Ndizo takatja nge kwenyu tibetithama saikoku.
- African Kalanga
Tabe mu maboko enyu ndizo mungathama tjimwe ne tjimwe tjamunobona tjakamululwamila nge kwedu.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Joshuwa kabatjidza mu Baiziraela kakale bakasibabulaye.
- English27
That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
African KalangaKoga Joshuwa wakabathama batemi be whuni ne batjeli be vula ye gubungano lose neye tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Yahwe. Na nasi kose batjathama saikoku mu magalo ashalugwa ndi Yahwe.
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.