The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Judges 3English
Basumikilisi 3African Kalanga
- English1
These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
African KalangaYezwi ndizo zwitjaba zwakasiyiwa ndi Yahwe kulika Baiziraela nazo bose bakabe basingazibe ngekwe ngwa mu Kanana,
- English2
(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
African Kalangakwakabe kulikuti zwizekugwana zwe Baiziraela zwizibe ngwa, kuti badiye basakatongo ziba ngwa mu kutanga.
- English3
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
African KalangaZwitjaba ndi yezwi, babusi bali bashanu be Bafilisitiya ne Bakanana bose ne Basidoni ne Bahivi bakabe begala mu Dombo le Lebhanoni, kudwa ku Dombo le Bhaalehemoni kunoti tjose ku nkoba we Hamati.
- English4
They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.
African KalangaZwakasiyiwa kuli kulika Baiziraela kubona kuti kene banowotobela milayo ya Yahwe yabakapa bo batategulu babo ndi Mushe.
- English5
The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
African KalangaBathu be Iziraela bakagala pakati kwe Bakanana ne Bahiti ne Baamoni ne Baperizi ne Bahivi ne Bajebusi,
- English6
They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
African Kalangangono bakatola bakololokadzi babo kube bakadzi babo, ngono bakapa bakololo babo bakololokadzi babo, bakashingila midzimu yabo.
- English7
The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
African KalangaBathu be Iziraela bakathama mbipo mu mesho a Yahwe, bekangang'wa Yahwe Ndzimu wabo, beshingila bo Bhaale na bo Ashera.
- English8
The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.
African KalangaNdizo bushongola gwa Yahwe gukathutila Baiziraela, ngono bakabatengesa mu maboko a Khushanirishathaimu mambo we Misopotamiya, ngono bathu be Iziraela bakashingila Khushanirishathaimu kwe makole ali zhanakadzi.
- English9
But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.
African KalangaKoga kwakati Baiziraela belilila kuna Yahwe, Yahwe baka bamusila nsununguli kuba sunungula, iye Othiniyeli nkololo wa Kenazi nnung'una wa Khalebu.
- English10
The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.
African KalangaMeya ya Yahwe ikazha munli ngono kasumikilisa Iziraela, kayenda ku ngwa, ngono Yahwe bakalonga Khushanirishathaimu mambo we Misopotamiya mu luboko gugwe, ngono Othiniyele kankunda.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo shango ikabe nge kunyalala kwe makole ali makumi manna (40). Ipapo Othiniyele nkololo wa Kenazi kafa.
- English12
Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.
African KalangaNgono Baiziraela bakathama mbipo mu mesho a Yahwe kakale, Yahwe bakasimisa Egiloni mambo we Moabu kugwa ne Iziraela, ngoti bakathama mbipo mu mesho a Yahwe.
- English13
Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.
African KalangaKazwikubunganyila Baamoni ne Baamaleki kanonginilila Baiziraela bakatapa nzi nkulu we milala.
- African Kalanga
Ngono Baiziraela bakashingila Egiloni mambo we Moabu kwe makole ali gumi lina ali zhanakadzi (18).
- English15
Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer–Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
African KalangaKoga kwakati Baiziraela belilila kuna Yahwe, Yahwe bakabamusila nsununguli unoyi Ehudi nkololo wa Gera we Mbhenjamini, nlume we tjimeshwe. Baiziraela bakatumila lukhetho kuna Egiloni mambo we Moabu ndiye.
- English16
Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.
African KalangaEhudi kazwithamila bukanu guno pitsha midzibo mibili gwe bulefu gwe luboko ngono kagudedela mu tjidzwa tje luji kusi kwe zwiambalo zwizwe.
- African Kalanga
Ngono kayesa lukhetho kuna Egiloni mambo we Moabu, wakabe ali nlume wakakola kwazo.
- African Kalanga
Kwakati Ehudi asina kuyisa lukhetho, kapaladza bathu bakabe bakasenga lukhetho.
- English19
At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” The king said, “Quiet!” And all his attendants left him.
African KalangaShule iye kashanduka pa zwifano zwe midzimu zwipa Giligala kadwa mambo kati, “Ndina dama lenyu le ikowha imwi mambo,” Mambo bakabe beti, “Zhoba.” Bose bakabe banaye bakabhudila kuzhe.
- English20
Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat,
African KalangaEhudi kazha kubali kwabakabe baligele baliboga ku ng'umbana itjapezhugwi inotothola, ngono Ehudi kabadwa kati, “Ndina ndayidzo yenyu inodwa ku Ndzimu.” Mambo bakamilika mu tjigalo tjabo.
- English21
Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.
African KalangaEhudi kalonga luboko gugwe gwe lumeshwe kashomola bukanu mu tjidzwa tjitje tje luji ngono kagulobelela mu ntumbu wa mambo,
- English22
Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it.
African Kalangabukanu gukangina kose ne mpinyana wago, gukanoputja ku ikamba. Ehudi kasishomole bukanu ngono gukazwimbiwa nge lizwizwi, ngono shambgwa ikabhuda.
- English23
Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
African KalangaIpapo Ehudi kabhudila ku ng'umbana itjambeli, kazhalila mikoba ye ng'umba ipezhugwi shule kukwe ngono kadzikhiya.
- English24
After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house.”
African KalangaKwakati atjiyenda, balanda babe bakazha bakawana mikoba ye ng'umba itjapezhugwi yakakhiyiwa ngono bakakumbula beti, “Pamwe batjasununguka mu ng'umbana itjamukati inotothola.”
- English25
They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their Lord fallen to the floor, dead.
African KalangaNgono bakalinda kuswikila bepelameya, kwakati mambo basingazhule mikoba ye ng'umba, bakatola khiyi bakakhiyinula mikoba, bakawana tetshi wabo alilele pasi aka fa.
- African Kalanga
Bakati batjakalinda, Ehudi katizha kasiya. Wakapinda pa zwifano zwe midzimu, etizhila ku Seira.
- English27
When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.
African KalangaWakati eswika kalidza lunyanga mu shango ye matuthu ya Ifureimi, bathu be Iziraela bakadelukila naye bedwa ku shango ye matuthu akabatungamila.
- English28
“Follow me,” he ordered, “for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over.
African KalangaKabadwa kati, “Mundisale shule, ngoti Yahwe balonga zwita zwenyu Bamoabu mu maboko enyu.” Ndizo bakadelukila bakansalashule, bakatolela Bamoabu maambuko e gwizi gwe Jorodani, kusina wabanodumila ku tjuluka.
- English29
At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped.
African KalangaMu tjibaka itjetjo bakabulaya balume bali zwiwulu zwili gumi be Moabu (10 000), bose bakazwilizanila bakasima, akuna wakatizha.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Moabu yakayisiwa pasi kwe Iziraela zhuba ilelo. Shango ikabe nge kunyalala kwe makole ali makumi ali zhanakadzi (80).
- English31
After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.
African KalangaShule kwa Ehudi kukazha Shamaga nkololo wa Anati iye wakabulaya balume bali mazana ali tathatu (600) be Bafilisitiya nge ikombo tje ng'ombe, naiye waka sunungula Baiziraela.
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.