The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Judges 18English
Basumikilisi 18African Kalanga
- English1
In those days Israel had no king. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
African KalangaMu misi iyeyo Iziraela yakabe isina mambo. Mu misi iyeyo ludzi gwe Badani gwakabe guzwishakila thaka pagungagala, ngobe bakabe basathu bakabe ne thaka ye shango mu njudzi dze Iziraela.
- English2
So the Danites sent five warriors from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out the land and explore it. These men represented all their clans. They told them, “Go, explore the land.” The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
African KalangaNdizo Badani bakatuma balume bakasima bali bashanu kudwa mu ludzi gwabo, kudwa kuna Zora ne kuna Eshitaole kunoshola shango ne kuyishakisisa, bakabadwa bakati, “Yendani munoshakisisa shango.” Balume bakangina mu shango ye matuthu ya Ifureimi, bakayenda ku ng'umba ya Mika, bakalalako.
- English3
When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they turned in there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
African KalangaBakati bali pa ng'umba ya Mika, bakaziba whi le nzhuzha we Nlevi, ngono bakayendako bakandwa bakati, “Ndiyani wakakuzhisa ipapa? Unoshingani muno?”
- African Kalanga
Kabadabila eti, “Mika wakandihira, ndi mpirisiti uwe.”
- English5
Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.”
African KalangaBakandwa bakati, “Tokumbila ubhuzwe ku Ndzimu kuti kene gwendo gwedu gowobhudilila?”
- African Kalanga
Mpirisiti kabashandula eti, “Yendani nge mbakiso, gwendo gwenyu gwadumigwa na Yahwe.”
- English7
So the five men left and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, unsuspecting and secure. And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous. Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians and had no relationship with anyone else.
African KalangaNdizo balume bali bashanu bakayenda bakanoswika ku Laishi, bakabona bathu bamu uli kuti bagele mu mbakililo se Basidoni, bagedzikane abatotja tjimwe, shango yabo aitosheta tjimwe, bakabhudilila. Bakagala kule ne Basidoni, basina shingidzano ne bamwe bathu.
- English8
When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “How did you find things?”
African KalangaBakati bebgwilila ku Zora ne Eshitaole, bakanyi kwabo bakababhuzwa beti, “Mawana kulitjani?”
- English9
They answered, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen that the land is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over.
African KalangaBakashandula beti, “Milikani tiyende tinobanginilila, ngoti tabona shango yakalulwamila ndimo. Apa amutowothama tjimwe kene? Musitje kuyenda munotola shango.
- English10
When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever.”
African KalangaHa muyenda mowowana bathu bagedzikane. Shango yakazhuka, Ndzimu bailonga mu maboko enyu, shango isingashete tjimwe kene kulini.”
- English11
Then six hundred men from the clan of the Danites, armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
African KalangaIpapo balume bali mazana ali tathatu (600) be ludzi gwa Dani, bakazwilulwamisila ngwa bakamilika mu Zora ne Eshitaole.
- English12
On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan to this day.
African KalangaBakayenda bakanokotokela ku Khiriyatijarimu mu Juda. Ndizo wali pathu ipapo pe dang'wa Mahanehadani na nasi, kukunomilazhuba kwe Kiriatijearimu.
- African Kalanga
Kudwa ipapo bakapindila ku shango ye matuthu ye Ifureimi, bakanoswika ku ng'umba ya Mika.
- English14
Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod, other household gods, a carved image and a cast idol? Now you know what to do.”
African KalangaNgono balume bali bashanu bakabe banoshola shango ye Laishi bakadwa bakanyi kwabo bakati, “Moziba kuti mu ng'umba idzedzi kuna khiba ye mpirisiti ne midzimwana ye ng'umba ne zwifano zwakabezhiwa ne zwifano zwakabumbiwa? Ngwenu moziba tjamakafanila thama.”
- English15
So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him.
African KalangaBakayenda ko, bakaswika ku ng'umba ye nzhuzha we Nlevi kunogala Mika, bakambhuzwa mamuko.
- African Kalanga
Balume bali mazana ali tathatu (600) be Badani bakasenga zwibhayano zwe ngwa, bakama pa nkoba,
- English17
The five men who had spied out the land went inside and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol while the priest and the six hundred armed men stood at the entrance to the gate.
African Kalangangono balume bali bashanu bakabe bashola shango bakangina bakatola ifano tjakabezhiwa ne khiba ye mpirisiti ne midzimwana ye ng'umba ne ifano tjakabumbiwa, mpirisiti iye atjimile ku nkoba ne balume bali mazana ali tathatu (600) bakabhata zwibhayano zwe ngwa.
- English18
When these men went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
African KalangaNgono kwakati bangina mu ng'umba ya Mika betola ifano tjakabezhiwa ne khiba ye mpirisiti ne midzimwana ye ng'umba ne ifano tjakabumbiwa, mpirisiti kabadwa kati, “Mothamani kene?”
- English19
They answered him, “Be quiet! Don’t say a word. Come with us, and be our father and priest. Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?”
African KalangaBakan'dabila beti, “Nyalala uti tuu, yenda naswi, ube tate bedu ube mpirisiti wedu. Akutoyita kuti ushingile ludzi ne nsha mu Iziraela pana kuti ushingile nsha we nthu ung'ompela kene?”
- English20
Then the priest was glad. He took the ephod, the other household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.
African KalangaMoyo we mpirisiti ukashatha, katola khiba ye mpirisiti ne midzimwana ye ng'umba ne ifano tjakabezhiwa ne ifano tjakabumbiwa kangina pakati kwe bathu.
- English21
Putting their little children, their livestock and their possessions in front of them, they turned away and left.
African KalangaBakafupatila bakayenda, betungamidza bana ne zwithuwo ne thundu mbeli.
- English22
When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men who lived near Micah were called together and overtook the Danites.
African KalangaKwakati batjibe kule ne ng'umba ya Mika, balume bakabe begala kupoteleka Mika bakadang'wa, ngono bakatobela Badani.
- English23
As they shouted after them, the Danites turned and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you that you called out your men to fight?”
African KalangaBakati be kambidza Badani, bakatjebuka bakadwa Mika bakati, “Kwatini, kwaungazha ne gupo lakajali?”
- English24
He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”
African KalangaKashandula eti, “Matola midzimu yandakathama ne mpirisiti mukayenda. Ndasaligwa ngeni imi? Ini mungadibhuzwa muti, ‘Kwatini?’ ”
- English25
The Danites answered, “Don’t argue with us, or some hot-tempered men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
African KalangaBadani bakandwa beti, “Usimilidze whi lilo pakati kwedu, kungadwa balume bana moyana bekunginilila, udwa ulashikigwa nge butjilo gugo ne be nsha uwo.”
- English26
So the Danites went their way, and Micah, seeing that they were too strong for him, turned around and went back home.
African KalangaIpapo Badani bakadwilidzisa gwendo gwabo, Mika wakati ebona kuti banonkulila, kashandukila kanyi kukwe.
- English27
Then they took what Micah had made, and his priest, and went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city.
African KalangaKwakati batjitolela Mika tjaakathama ne mpirisiti uwe, Badani bakanoswika ku Laishi ku bathu bakanyalala bagedzikane ngono bakababulaya nge thumo bakapisa nzi nge moto.
- English28
There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there.
African KalangaKwakabe kusina ungabatjidza ngoti bakabe begala kulekule ne Basidoni, basinga shingidzane ne bathu. Nzi wakabe uli mu nkuku whunde ne Bhetirihobi. Badani bakamusa nzi iwoyu bakagala muuli.
- English29
They named it Dan after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel–though the city used to be called Laish.
African KalangaBakautumila beti Dani, nge zina la batategulu babo Dani bakazwaligwa Iziraela, koga zina le nzi lakabe lili Laishi mu kutanga.
- English30
There the Danites set up for themselves the idols, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the time of the captivity of the land.
African KalangaNdizo Badani bakazwibigila midzimwana ye zwifano, Jonatani nkololo wa Gerishomu ali nkololo wa Mushe ne bakololo babe, bakabe bali bapirisiti be ludzi gwa Dani kuswikila pa kutapiwa kwe shango.
- English31
They continued to use the idols Micah had made, all the time the house of God was in Shiloh.
African KalangaBakadwilila bakashingisa midzimwana ye zwifano yakathamiwa na Mika, mu mazhuba wose Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ili ku Shilo.
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.