The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Judges 20English
Basumikilisi 20African Kalanga
- English1
Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out as one man and assembled before the LORD in Mizpah.
African KalangaNdizo bathu bose be Iziraela banodwa ku Dani ne Bheerisheba kose ne shango ye Giliyadi bakazha bali tjithu tjing'ompela, gubungano likakubungana mbeli kwa Yahwe mu Mizipha.
- English2
The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords.
African KalangaBatungamili be bathu bose be njudzi dze Iziraela bakatola magalo abo mu gubungano le bathu be Ndzimu, kuli babhayani bali zwiwulu zwili mazana manna (400 000) bakabhata mathumo.
- English3
(The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”
African KalangaBabhenjamini bakabe bawha kuti bathu be Iziraela bayenda ku Mizipha. Baiziraela bakati, “Mutibudze kuti tjithu itjetji tjakabipa tjakashingikala tjini kene?”
- English4
So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, “I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.
African KalangaNdizo Nlevi, nlume we nkadzi wakabulawa kati, “Imi ne tjamba tjangu takaswika ku Gibiya we Babhenjamini, tikalalako.
- English5
During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died.
African KalangaKwakati busiku balume be Gibiya bakandimukila bakakomba ng'umba, beshaka kundibulaya. Bakadzula tjamba tjangu ngono tjikafa.
- English6
I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel’s inheritance, because they committed this lewd and disgraceful act in Israel.
African KalangaNdakatola tjamba tjangu ndikathubukanya zwitho ngono ndikazwitumila mu ntuthu wose we shango ye thaka ye Iziraela, ngoti bathama tjinoshimisa tjinobhatisashoni mu Iziraela.
- African Kalanga
Bonani, imwi bathu be Iziraela mose, lebelekani mu duse dama.”
- English8
All the people rose as one man, saying, “None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house.
African KalangaBathu bose bakama bali tjithu tjing'ompela bakati, “Akuna wedu unowoyenda ku nshasha uwe kene kuli mmwe wedu unowoyenda ku ng'umba iye.
- African Kalanga
Koga tjatinowoshingila Gibiya ndiyetji, towoyinginilila kuyendidzana nge leba kwe hakata,
- English10
We’ll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for all this vileness done in Israel.”
African Kalangatowotola balume bali gumi muna bali zana (100) mu njudzi dzose dze Iziraela ne bali zana (100) muna bali tjiwulu (1 000) ne bali tjiwulu (1 000) muna bali zwiwulu zwili zana (10 000) banozhisila ngwa zojiwa. Ngono banowoti bashanduka, tikathamila Gibiya we Bhenjamini tjakabafanila tjinobhatisa shoni tjabakathama mu Iziraela.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo balume bose be Iziraela bakakubunganila nzi we Gibiya bali tjithu tjing'ompela.
- English12
The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What about this awful crime that was committed among you?
African KalangaNjudzi dze Iziraela dzikatuma balume ku ludzi gose gwa Bhenjamini dziti, “I mbipo yakatini yakashingikala pakati kwenyu kene?
- English13
Now surrender those wicked men of Gibeah so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel.” But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.
African KalangaNdizo ngwenu dusani zwilalume izwezwi zwimu Gibiya kuti tizwibulaye, tiduse bubi mu Iziraela” Koga Babhenjamini bakasiteedze bakanyi kwabo Baiziraela.
- African Kalanga
Babhenjamini bakakubunganila ku Gibiya bebhuda mu mizi yabo kugwa ne Baiziraela.
- English15
At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred chosen men from those living in Gibeah.
African KalangaKwakati mu zhuba ilelo Babhenjamini bakalulwamisa balume bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana zwili tathatu (26 000) be thumo kudwa mu mizi yabo, kuzhadzisa bali mazana ali kutendeka (700) bakashalugwa banogala mu Gibiya.
- English16
Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
African KalangaMuna bose ibaba, bali mazana ali kutendeka (700) bakabe bashalugwa bakabe beshingisa luboko gwe lumeshwe, beziba posa nge tjivirimabgwe basinga khute.
- English17
Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fighting men.
African KalangaBalume be Iziraela kuzhe kwe Babhenjamini, bakalulwamisa balume bali zwiwulu zwili mazana manna (400 000) be thumo, bose bali balume be ngwa.
- English18
The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, “Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?” The LORD replied, “Judah shall go first.”
African KalangaBathu be Iziraela bakamilika bakatathila ku Bhetele, bakabhuzwa Ndzimu beti, “Ndiboyani mutili banowotangisa ngwa ne Babhenjamini?” Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Bajuda ngabatangise.”
- African Kalanga
Kwakati tjimuka Baiziraela bakamilika bakanothama bukotokelo whunde ye Gibiya.
- English20
The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah.
African KalangaBalume be Iziraela bakayenda bakanogwa ne Babhenjamini, bakazwimisa nge ndongoloso ye ngwa bakalinga Gibiya.
- English21
The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day.
African KalangaBabhenjamini bakabhuda mu Gibiya, bakabulaya balume bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana zwibili (22 000) be Baiziraela mu zhuba ilelo.
- English22
But the men of Israel encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day.
African KalangaKoga balume be Iziraela bakasimisa moyo, bakama kakale nge ndongoloso ye ngwa mu magalo iwo zwawo abakama mu zhuba le kutanga.
- English23
The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, “Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?” The LORD answered, “Go up against them.”
African KalangaBaiziraela bakatathila pezhugwi bakanolila mbeli kwa Yahwe kuswikila kube madekwana, ndizo bakabhuzwa Yahwe beti, “Apa tiyende tinogwa kakale ne bakanyi kwedu Babhenjamini kene?” Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Yendani munobanginilila.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Baiziraela bakanonginilila Babhenjamini zhuba le bubili.
- English25
This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them armed with swords.
African KalangaBabhenjamini bakabashanganidza bedwa ku Gibiya zhuba le bubili, ngono bakabulaya balume be Iziraela bali zwiwulu zwili gumi lina zwili zhanakadzi (18 000), bose bakabe bali balume be thumo.
- English26
Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the LORD.
African KalangaIpapo bathu bose be Iziraela, ngwa yose ikayenda ku Bhetele bakalila, baligele mbeli kwa Yahwe, bakazwinyima zojiwa zhuba ilelo kuswikila madekwana, bakadusa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ne zwipo zwe mbakiso mbeli kwa Yahwe.
- English27
And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there,
African KalangaBaiziraela bakabhuzwa Yahwe, ngoti mu mazhuba iyawo Bhokisi le Tjidumano le Ndzimu lakabe lili yapo,
- English28
with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministering before it.) They asked, “Shall we go up again to battle with Benjamin our brother, or not?” The LORD responded, “Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.”
African Kalangangono Finiyasi nkololo wa Eliyaza ali nkololo wa Aroni ndiye wakabe e yendisa nshingo mu tjibaka itjetjo, bakabhuzwa beti, “Apa tiyende tinogwa kakale ne bakanyi kwedu Babhenjamini kene tiletje?” Yahwe bakashandula beti, “Yendani mangwana ndowobalonga mu maboko enyu.”
- African Kalanga
Baiziraela bakalalila Gibiya kuipoteleka.
- English30
They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before.
African KalangaBaiziraela bakatathila kunonginilila Babhenjamini kakale mu zhuba le butatu, bakazwilongolosa nge ngwa bakalinga Gibiya se misi yose.
- English31
The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads–the one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.
African KalangaBabhenjamini bakabhuda kubashanganidza kugwa, ngono bakadusiwa mu nzi, koga se misi yose bakatangisa bulaya bamwe bathu kungabe balume bali makumi matatu (30) be Iziraela mu dzizila, imwe kuli inoyenda ku Bhetele imwe ku Gibiya.
- English32
While the Benjamites were saying, “We are defeating them as before,” the Israelites were saying, “Let’s retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads.”
African KalangaBabhenjamini bakazwidwa bakati, “Tabakunda se misi yose.” Koga Baiziraela bakati, “Ngatitizheni tibaduse mu nzi, tibakwebele ku zila dzakazhuka.”
- English33
All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place on the west of Gibeah.
African KalangaBalume bose be Iziraela bakabhuda pabakabe balipo, bakanoma nge ndongoloso ku Bhaaletama, ne balume be Iziraela bakabe bakalalila bakaputjumuka pabakabe balipo tjekunomila zhuba kwe Gheba.
- English34
Then ten thousand of Israel’s finest men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize how near disaster was.
African KalangaKukaswika balume bali zwiwulu zwili gumi (10 000) bakashalugwa mu Iziraela yose kunginilila Gibiya, ngwa ikasima, koga Babhenjamini bakasibone kuti mbatsha dzobawila.
- English35
The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords.
African KalangaYahwe bakakunda Babhenjamini mbeli kwe Baiziraela, mu zhuba ilelo Baiziraela bakabulaya Babhenjamini bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana zwishanu ne bali zana (25 100), bose ibaba kuli be thumo.
- English36
Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten. Now the men of Israel had given way before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush they had set near Gibeah.
African KalangaNdizo Babhenjamini bakabona kuti banokundiwa. Balume be Iziraela bakasedzela Bhenjamini, ngobe bakabe bakabiga muna bakabe bakalalila Gibiya.
- English37
The men who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword.
African KalangaBalume bakabe bakalalila bakati tjinyolotjo bakangina mu Gibiya, bakaandama bakabulaya nzi wose nge thumo.
- English38
The men of Israel had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city,
African KalangaBalume be Iziraela bakabe badumana ne bakalalila kuti bathame bhulubusi mu nzi,
- English39
and then the men of Israel would turn in the battle. The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the men of Israel (about thirty), and they said, “We are defeating them as in the first battle.”
African Kalangaipapo balume be Iziraela banowoshanduka bakagwa. Babhenjamini bakabe batangisa bulaya balume banga bhata makumi matatu (30) be Baiziraela, ngono bakazwidwa bakati “Tobakunda se mu ngwa ye kutanga.”
- English40
But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky.
African KalangaKoga tjilakidzo tje bhulubusi tjakati tjimilika mu nzi, Babhenjamini bakashandukila shule bakabona busi gwe nzi wose guyenda pezhugwi.
- English41
Then the men of Israel turned on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come upon them.
African KalangaIpapo balume be Iziraela bakashandukila mu bali, balume be Bhenjamini bakatemeka mafupa, ngobe babona kuti mbatsha dzabawila.
- English42
So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the desert, but they could not escape the battle. And the men of Israel who came out of the towns cut them down there.
African KalangaNdizo bakatizha Baiziraela betizhila ku tjilambanyika, koga ngwa ikabakulila, ngono ibabo bakabe bebhuda mu mizi mikulu bakababulayila muili.
- English43
They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east.
African KalangaBakakomba Babhenjamini, bakabatatamila bakababulaya kunoti ku Gibiya tjekunobhudazhuba.
- African Kalanga
Balume bali zwiwulu zwili gumi lina zwili zhanakadzi (18 000) bakabulawa, bose bali babhayani bakasima.
- English45
As they turned and fled toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon, the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more.
African KalangaBakatendebuka bakatizhila ku tjilambanyika tji ku shongwe ya Rimoni, balume bali zwiwulu zwili shanu (5 000) bakabulawa mu dzizila, bakadwilila bakatatamila Babhenjamini kunoti ku Gimoni, kukabulawa balume babo bali zwiwulu zwibili (2 000).
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Babhenjamini bose bakabulawa zhuba ilelo bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana zwili shanu (25 000) be thumo, bose bali babhayani bakasima.
- English47
But six hundred men turned and fled into the desert to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months.
African KalangaKoga balume bali mazana ali tathatu (600) bakatendebuka bakatizhila ku tjilambanyika tjiku shongwe ya Rimoni, bakagala ko mimwedzi minna.
- English48
The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire.
African KalangaBalume be Iziraela bakabgwilila ku Babhenjamini, bakababulaya nge thumo, kose ne zwithuwo ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabakabe bewana. Bakapisa nge moto mizi yose yabakabe bengina muili.
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.