The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Judges 1English
Basumikilisi 1African Kalanga
- English1
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”
African KalangaKwakati shule kwe lufu gwa Joshuwa, bathu be Iziraela bakabhuzwa Yahwe beti, “Ndiyani unowomilika kutanga pakati kwedu kanogwa ne Bakanana kene?”
- African Kalanga
Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Ngakumilike Juda, bonani, ndalonga shango mu maboko awe.”
- English3
Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them.
African KalangaJuda kadwa Simiyoni nkulu uwe kati, “Ngatiyende tose ku shango yandakakobegwa kuti tinogwa ne Bakanana, namibo ndowoyenda nawe ku shango yawakakobegwa.” Ndizo Simiyoni kayenda naye.
- English4
When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.
African KalangaKwakati Juda emilika, Yahwe bakalonga Bakanana ne Baperizi mu maboko abo, ngono bakabulaya balume bali zwiwulu zwili gumi (10 000) ku Bhezeki.
- English5
It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites.
African KalangaBakawana Adonibhezeki ku Bhezeki ngono bakagwisana naye, bakakunda Bakanana ne Baperizi.
- African Kalanga
Adonibhezeki katizha ngono bakantatamila bakambhata, bakathubula zwinyala zwizwe zwikulu zwe maboko ne zwe makumbo.
- English7
Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
African KalangaAdonibhezeki kabe eti, “Bomambo bali makumi ali kutendeka (70) bakathubugwa zwinyala zwikulu zwe maboko ne zwe makumbo bakabe benunga mamburumburu kusi kwe tafuli yangu. Ngwenu Ndzimu bandibgwilizila nge zwandakathama kubali.” Bakan'yisa ku Jerusalema kafila ko.
- English8
The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
African KalangaBalume be Juda bakagwisana ne Jerusalema ngono bakayitapa, bakabulaya bathu nge thumo, bakapisa nzi nkulu nge moto.
- English9
After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills.
African KalangaShule kwa ipapo balume be Juda bakanogwisana ne Bakanana bakabe begala mu shango ye matuthu, ku Negebu ne mu shango itjapasi.
- English10
They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.
African KalangaBajuta bakanonginilila Bakanana bakabe begala mu Heburoni yakabe idang'wa Kiriyatiaribha, bakakunda Sheshayi na Ahimani na Talemayi.
- English11
From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).
African KalangaKudwa ipapo bakanonginilila bagali be Debiri yakabe idang'wa Kiriatiseferi.
- English12
And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.”
African KalangaNgono Khalebu kati, “Ndowolobodza nkololokadzi wangu Akasa ku nlume unowogwisana ne Kiriatiseferi kayitapa.”
- English13
Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.
African KalangaNgono Othiniyeli nkololo wa Kenazi, nnung'una wa Khalebu kayitapa, ndizo Khalebu kanlobodza nkololokadzi uwe Akasa.
- English14
One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”
African KalangaKwakati Akasa azha kunli, Othiniyeli kankumbila kuti akumbile nnda kuna tate babe, wakati edeluka mu donki tjitje, Khalebu kambhuzwa kati, “Kwatini?”
- English15
She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” Then Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
African KalangaAkasa kashandula eti, “Mundipe tjipo, ngoti makandipa shango ye ku burwa, mundipe matshime e vula.”
- English16
The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the men of Judah to live among the people of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.
African KalangaNgono zwizekugwana zwe N'keni tezwale ba Mushe, zwakayenda ne bathu be Juda kudwa ku nzi nkulu we milala kunoti ku tjilambanyika tje Juda tjimu burwa whunde ne Aradi, ngono bakanogala ne bathu.
- English17
Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their brothers and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah.
African KalangaJuda kayenda na Simiyoni nkulu uwe, bakakunda Bakanana bakabe begala ku Zefati ngono bakayilobesa. Ndizo zina le nzi nkulu likadang'wa Horima.
- African Kalanga
Juda katapa kose ne Gaza ne mituthu yayo, ne Ashikeloni ne mituthu yayo ne Ekironi ne mituthu yayo.
- English19
The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.
African KalangaYahwe bakabebana Juda, katola shango ye matuthu koga kasitate bagali be shango yakawala ngobe bakabebana koloyi dze ngwa dze butale.
- English20
As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak.
African KalangaHeburoni ikapiwa Khalebu sekwakaleba Mushe, ngono katata bakololo batatu ba Anaki.
- English21
The Benjamites, however, failed to dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.
African KalangaBabhenjamini bakakong'wa tata Bajebusi bakabe begala mu Jerusalema, ndizo Bajebusi bakagala ne bathu be Bhenjamini mu Jerusalema kuswikila nasi.
- African Kalanga
Ludzi gwa Josefa gukanonginilila Bhetele, ngono Yahwe bakabe banabo.
- African Kalanga
Bakati betuma shodzi kunoshola Bhetele yakabe idang'wa Luzi,
- English24
the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.”
African Kalangashodzi dzikabona nlume ebhuda mu nzi nkulu ngono dzikandwa dzikati, “Utilakidze panonging'wa mu nzi nkulu ndizo towokubhata zwakanaka.”
- English25
So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family.
African KalangaNgono kabalakidza panonging'wa, ngono bakanginilila nzi nge thumo, koga bakaletja nlume ne bensha uwe bose kuti bayende.
- English26
He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.
African KalangaNgono nlume kayenda ku shango ye Bahiti ngono kabaka nzi nkulu kautumila zina eti Luzi, ndilo zina lawo na nasi.
- English27
But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.
African KalangaKoga Manase kasitate bagali be Bhetisheani ne mizana yayo kene Taanaki ne mizana yayo, kene bagali be Dori ne mizana yayo kene be Ibeliyamu ne mizana yayo, kene bagali be Megido ne mizana yayo, koga Bakanana bakadwilila bakagala mu shango iyeyo.
- English28
When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.
African KalangaKwakati Baiziraela batjisima, bakathama Bakanana kuti babashingile koga bakasibatate.
- English29
Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them.
African KalangaBaifureimi bakasitate Bakanana bakabe begala mu Gezeri, koga Bakanana bakagala nabo mu Gezeri.
- English30
Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, who remained among them; but they did subject them to forced labor.
African KalangaNa Zebuluni kasitate bagali be Kitironi kene be Nahaloli, koga Bakanana bakagala mu bali, bakabe bashingili.
- English31
Nor did Asher drive out those living in Acco or Sidon or Ahlab or Aczib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob,
African KalangaAsheri kasitate bagali be Akho kene be Sidoni kene be Alabu kene be Akizibi kene be Helibha kene be Afiki kene be Rihobi,
- African Kalanga
koga Baasheri bakagala pakati kwe Bakanana ibo bagali be shango, ngoti abazobatata.
- English33
Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them.
African KalangaNafutali kasitate bagali be Bhetishemeshi kene be Bhetianati, koga bakagala pakati kwe Bakanana ibo bagali be shango. Ngono bagali be Bhetishemeshi ne be Bhetianati bakabe bashingili babo.
- English34
The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain.
African KalangaBaamoni bakasundila Badani shule ku shango ye matuthu, bakasibadumile kuzha ku shango yakawala.
- English35
And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the house of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor.
African KalangaBaamoni bakadwilila begala mu Hariheresi ne mu Aijaloni ne mu Shaalibimi koga simba la Josefa likabakulila ngono bakabe bashingili babo.
- African Kalanga
Ngathu we Baamori wakabe udwa ku Akirabhimi kunoti ku Sela, upindila mbeli.
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.