The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Judges 11English
Basumikilisi 11African Kalanga
- English1
Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute.
African KalangaJefutha we N'giliyadi wakabe ali mbhayani wakasima. Tate babe bakabe bali Giliyadi, mmebabe bakabe bali fukula.
- English2
Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.”
African KalangaNkadzi wa Giliyadi kanzwalila bakololo, ngono kwakati bakololo be nkadzi uwe batjikula, bakatata Jefutha bakandwa bakati, “Akuna thaka yaunowowana mu nsha wedu, ngoti u nkololo we nkadzi upoga.”
- English3
So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a group of adventurers gathered around him and followed him.
African KalangaNdizo Jefutha katizha mu bana batate babe, kanogala mu shango ye Tobi. Ngono gupo le batoleli likankubunganila likansala shule liyenda litolela bathu naye.
- African Kalanga
Kwakati shule kwe tjibaka Baamoni bakanogwa ne Baiziraela.
- African Kalanga
Kwakati Baamoni begwa ne Baiziraela, bakulu be Giliyadi bakanodana Jefutha ku shango ye Tobi.
- African Kalanga
Bakandwa beti, “Buya ube ntungamili wedu, ndizo tigwe ne Baamoni.”
- English7
Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”
African KalangaKoga Jefutha kadwa bakulu be Giliyadi kati, “Apa amuzondibenga, mukanditata mu ng'umba ya tate bangu kene? Ini matjizha kundili matjibe mu kudziyidzika kene?”
- English8
The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be our head over all who live in Gilead.”
African KalangaNgono bakulu be Giliyadi bakadwa Jefutha bakati, “Ndizo tashandukila kukuli ngwenu, kuti uyende naswi tinogwa ne Baamoni ube nsholo wedu mu bagali bose be Giliyadi.”
- English9
Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the LORD gives them to me– will I really be your head?”
African KalangaNgono Jefutha kadwa bakulu be Giliyadi kati, “Ha mundibgwiliza kanyi kuti ndinogwa ne Baamoni ngono Yahwe bebendipa ibo ndibakunda, ndowobe nsholo wenyu kene?”
- African Kalanga
Bakulu be Giliyadi bakashandula beti, “Yahwe ndibo ntendeki wedu, towothama sekwa unoleba.”
- English11
So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.
African KalangaNdizo Jefutha kayenda ne bakulu be Giliyadi, ngono bathu bakanthama nsholo ne nge ntungamili wabo. Jefutha kaleba matama awe wose mbeli kwa Yahwe ku Mizipha.
- English12
Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against us that you have attacked our country?”
African KalangaIpapo Jefutha katuma batumwa kuna mambo we Baamoni kati, “Uneni naswi kwaungatinginilila mu shango yedu kene?”
- English13
The king of the Ammonites answered Jephthah’s messengers, “When Israel came up out of Egypt, they took away my land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, all the way to the Jordan. Now give it back peaceably.”
African KalangaMambo we Amoni kashandula batumwa ba Jefutha eti, “Kwakati Baiziraela bedwa ku Egipiti, bakatola shango yangu kudwa ku Arinoni kunoti ku Jabhoki ne kunoti ku Jorodani, ngwenu tjindibgwilizilani iyo nge mbakiso.”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Jefutha katuma batumwa kakale kuna mambo we Amoni,
- English15
saying: “This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.
African Kalangakandwa kati, “Tjinoleba Jefutha ndiyetji, Iziraela aizotola shango ye Moabu kene ye Amoni,
- English16
But when they came up out of Egypt, Israel went through the desert to the Red Sea and on to Kadesh.
African Kalangakoga bakati bedwa ku Egipiti, Baiziraela bakapalama tjilambanyika kunoti ku Gungwa Shaba, bakaswika ku Kadeshi.
- English17
Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Give us permission to go through your country,’ but the king of Edom would not listen. They sent also to the king of Moab, and he refused. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.
African KalangaBaiziraela bakatuma batumwa kuna mambo we Baedomu kati, ‘Tokumbila palama shango yenyu,’ koga mambo we Edomu kaside wha. Ngono bakatumila kakale kuna mambo we Moabu koga kasidume. Ndizo Baiziraela bakagala ku Kadeshi.
- English18
“Next they traveled through the desert, skirted the lands of Edom and Moab, passed along the eastern side of the country of Moab, and camped on the other side of the Arnon. They did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was its border.
African KalangaNgono bakayenda mu tjilambanyika, bepoteleka shango ye Baedomu ne shango ye Bamoabu, pakapinda tjekubhezhuba kwe shango ye Moabu, bakakotokela seli ye Arinoni, koga abazongina mu ntuthu we Moabu, ngoti Arinoni yakabe ili ngathu we Moabu.
- English19
“Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him, ‘Let us pass through your country to our own place.’
African Kalanga“Ipapo Baiziraela bakatuma batumwa kuna Sihoni mambo we Baamoni wakabe ebusa mu Heshibhoni, ngono bakandwa bakati, ‘Tokumbila palama mu shango iyo toyenda kuna yedu.’
- English20
Sihon, however, did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He mustered all his men and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel.
African KalangaKoga Sihoni kasigalebgwe Baiziraela ku palama ntuthu uwe, ndizo Sihoni kakubunganya bathu babe bose ngono kakotokela ku Jahazi ngono kagwa ne Baiziraela.
- English21
“Then the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his men into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country,
African KalangaNgono Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela kalonga Sihoni ne bathu babe bose mu maboko e Baiziraela ngono bakaba kunda. Ndizo Iziraela ikatola shango yose ye Baamori bakabe gala mu shango iyeyo.
- African Kalanga
Bakaitapa yose kudwa ku Arinoni kunoti ku Jabhoki ne kudwa ku tjilambanyika kunoti ku Jorodani.
- English23
“Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over?
African Kalanga“Ngono ngwenu se Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakatata Baamori mbeli kwe bathu babo Baiziraela, apa unafanilo dzekuitola kene?
- English24
Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess.
African KalangaApa autotola tjaunopiwa na Khemoshi ndzimu uwo kene? Naswibo bo tjatinopiwa na Yahwe Ndzimu wedu towotjithuwa.
- English25
Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them?
African KalangaApa moyita pana Bhalaki nkololo wa Zipori mambo we Moabu kene? Apa wakatongomusilana zhoba ne kukweba kwebana ne Baiziraela kene?
- English26
For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time?
African KalangaKwe makole ali mazana matatu (300) Baiziraela begala mu Heshibhoni ne mizana yayo ne mu Aruwa ne mizana yayo ne mizi yose imu tjekelo dze Arinoni. Ini musakatitolela iyo nge tjibaka itjetjo?
- English27
I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
African KalangaImi andizokutjinyila, koga iwe ndiwe unonditjinyila ngothama ngwa nami. Yahwe nsumikilisi ngabasumikilise pakati kwe bathu be Iziraela ne bathu be Amoni nasi.”
- African Kalanga
Koga mambo we Amoni kasibhulutane matama aakatumiligwa ndi Jefutha.
- English29
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
African KalangaNgono Meya ya Yahwe ikazha muna Jefutha. Kapalama Giliyadi ne Manase, kapindila ku Mizipha we Giliyadi, kudwa pa Mizipha kapindila ku Baamoni.
- African Kalanga
Ngono Jefutha katuna kuna Yahwe kati, “Ha mungalonga Baamoni mu maboko angu,
- English31
whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
African Kalangaipapo mmwe ne mmwe unowozha edwa mu ng'umba yangu kundishanganidza ha ndashanduka nge mbakiso ku Baamoni kowobe ba Yahwe, ngono ndowobadusa se tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Jefutha katjulukila ku Baamoni kugwa nami, ngono Yahwe bakabalonga mu maboko bo.
- English33
He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
African KalangaKabakunda kudwa ku Aruwa kunoti ku Miniti, katapa mizi ili makumi mabili (20), ne kunoti tjose ku Abelikeramimi, kwakabe kukunda kukulu. Ndizo Baamoni bakayisiwa pasi kwe Baiziraela.
- English34
When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.
African KalangaKwakati Jefutha azha ku nzi uwe ku Mizipha, bonani, nkololokadzi uwe kabhuda ku nshanganidza ne dzithamborini ne njimbo. Kwakabe kuli iye yega mwana uwe, kuzhe kukwe wakabe asina nkololo kene nkololokadzi.
- English35
When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break.”
African KalangaWakati embona kapalula zwiambalo zwizwe kati, “Aa, nkololokadzi wangu, wandiyisa pasi seni, ini ungadizhisila mathatha mangapa ngobe ndakazhula nlomo, ndikatuna kuna Yahwe ngono andingatjinyulule.”
- English36
“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.
African KalangaNgono nkololokadzi uwe kashandula eti, “Tate, ha makazhula nlomo mukatuna kuna Yahwe, thamani tjamakandigadzabgwe, ngoti Yahwe batjimubgwilizila mu zwita zwenyu Baamoni.”
- English37
But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”
African KalangaNgono kadwa tate babe eti, “Ndokumbila mundithamile etji, ‘Mundipe mimwedzi mibili ndi yende ku matombo ndinolilila buanadi gwangu, imi ne bazwalani bangu.’ ”
- English38
“You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry.
African KalangaNgono tate babe bakati, “Yenda.” Ngono bakanletja kayenda kwe mimwedzi mibili, ngono kayenda ne bazwalani babe bakanolilila buanadi gugwe ku matombo.
- English39
After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite custom
African KalangaShule kwe mimwedzi mibili kabgwilila kuna tate babe, bakanthamila kuyendidzana nge tuna kwabo. Wakabe asathu kaziba balume. Ngono kukabe tjilenje,
- English40
that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.
African Kalangakuti gole ne gole mwanadi mmwe ne mmwe mu Iziraela unoyenda kwe mazhuba ali makumi manna (40) kuli kunokumbula nkololokadzi wa Jefutha we Giliyadi.
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.