The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Judges 8English
Basumikilisi 8African Kalanga
- English1
Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?” And they criticized him sharply.
African KalangaNgono balume be Ifureimi bakadwa Gidiyoni beti, “Ini utibhata uyijali? Ini wabe usatidana uyenda kunogwa ne Midiyani?” Ngono bakansapula kunogwadza.
- English2
But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer?
African KalangaNgono kabadwa kati, “Ini tjandathama ha ndifanidzanyiwa namwi? Apa mamburumburu e zhambi dza Ifureimi aatoyita pa zhambi dzakatjegwa dza Abiyeza kene?
- English3
God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
African KalangaNdzimu balonga batungamili babili be Bamidiyani mu maboko enyu, Orebu na Zibi, imi ndakathamani tjingafanidziwa namwi?” Bakati bewha ikoku, gwadzamoyo kwabo kukatebama.
- English4
Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit, came to the Jordan and crossed it.
African KalangaGidiyoni ne balume bali mazana matatu bakaswika ku Jorodani, bakatjuluka nenguba bakabe banyala bakadwilila ne tatamila.
- English5
He said to the men of Succoth, “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
African KalangaNdizo kadwa balume be Sukoti kati, “Ipa ngwa yangu tjiwunga ngoti banyala ngono ndakatatana na Zebha na Zalimuna bomambo be Bamidiyani.”
- English6
But the officials of Succoth said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?”
African KalangaNgono batungamili ba Sukoti bakandwa bakati, “Apa Zebha na Zalimuna batjibe mu maboko awo kale kwatingapa ngwa iyo tjiwunga kene?”
- English7
Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
African KalangaNgono Gidiyoni kashandula eti, “Kwakalulwama, hapa Yahwe bangalonga Zebha na Zalimuna mu luboko gwangu, ndowopalulanya nyama dzenyu nge mimiwa ye tjilambanyika ne tjing'ang'a.”
- English8
From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Succoth had.
African KalangaNgono kudwa ipapo katathila ku Penuweli, ngono naibo kabakumbila. Ngono balume be Penuweli bakadabila koga se be Sukoti.
- African Kalanga
Ngono kadwa balume be Penuweli kati, “Apa ndishanduka nge mbakiso, ndowoliga thungamakole iyeyi.”
- English10
Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen.
African KalangaIpapo Zebha na Zalimuna bakabe bali mu Karikori nge ngwa yabo, ana balume bangabhata zwiwulu zwili gumi lina bushanu (15 000) kuli bose bakabe basala bengwa ye bathu be kubhezhuba, ngoti kwakabe kwa wa balume bali zwiwulu zwili zana lina makumi mabili (120 000) banosenga thumo.
- English11
Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell upon the unsuspecting army.
African KalangaNgono Gidiyoni kabhuda nge zila ye bagali be mishasha, kunobhuda zhuba kwe Nobha ne Jogibheha ngono kanginilila ngwa ngoti yakabe itjakafala.
- English12
Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
African KalangaNgono Zebha na Zalimuna bomambo babili be Midiyani bakatizha, kabatatamila kababhata kabatapa, ngono ngwa yose ikashangashangana.
- African Kalanga
Gidiyoni nkololo wa Joashi kashanduka ku ngwa nge nkoto we Heresi.
- English14
He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Succoth, the elders of the town.
African KalangaNgono kabhata nzhuzha we Sukoti ngono kanbhuzwa, ngono nzhuzha kankwalila mazina e batungamili be Sukoti bali makumi ali kutendeka ana kutendeka (77).
- English15
Then Gideon came and said to the men of Succoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?’”
African KalangaNdizo Gidiyoni kazha kubalume be Sukoti kabadwa kati, “Bonani, Zebha na Zalimuna ibo bamakandi gongobola ngekwabo muti, ‘Apa Zebha na Zalimuna batjibe mu maboko awo kale kwatingapa ngwa iyo yakanyala tjiwunga kene?’ ”
- English16
He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers.
African KalangaNgono katola bakulu be nzi nkulu ngono katola mimiwa ye tjilambanyika ne tjing'ang'a ngono kabadiya ndizo.
- African Kalanga
Ngono kaliga thungamakole ye Penuweli ngono kabulaya balume be nzi.
- English18
Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.”
African KalangaNgono kabhuzwa Zebha na Zalimuna eti, “Bangayi balume bamaka bulaya ku Tabori?” Bakashandula beti, “Sekwa uli iko koga, mmwe ne mmwe wakabe elingika se nkololo wa mambo.”
- English19
Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.”
African KalangaGidiyoni kashandula eti, “Kwakabe kuli bakulu bangu, bana ba mme. Ndotuna na Yahwe banotjila nditi, alobe makabemabatjidza ndabendisowomubulaya.”
- English20
Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid.
African KalangaNgono kadwa Jetha mbano iye kati, “Milika ubabulaye.” Koga Jetha kasishomole thumo lile ngoti wakabe etja ngobe atji ntjetjana.
- English21
Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks.
African KalangaIpapo Zebha na Zalimuna bakandwa bakati, “Milika utibulaye ngekuko, ngoti simba le nlume lolizana nge mbubiko iye.” Ngono Gidiyoni kamilika kabulaya Zebha na Zalimuna, katola ndalama dzakabe dzili mu mitshiba ye kamela dzabo.
- English22
The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us–you, your son and your grandson–because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
African KalangaNgono Baiziraela bakadwa Gidiyoni bakati, “Uti buse, iwe ne nkololo uwo ne mwana we mwana uwo, ngoti watitjidza mu luboko gwe Bamidiyani.”
- English23
But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
African KalangaGidiyoni kabadwa kati, “Anditowomubusa, ne nkololo wangu aatowomubusa. Yahwe banowomubusa.”
- English24
And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
African KalangaGidiyoni kabadwa kati, “Ndoshaka kumukumbila tjimwe, mmwe ne mmwe wenyu andipe ng'ina mu thundu iye yatapiwa.” Ngobe kwakabe kuna mang'ina e golide ngoti bakabebali Baishimaeli.
- English25
They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it.
African KalangaNgono bakashandula beti, “Towokupa ngekushatha.” Ndizo bakawala jila ngono mmwe ne mmwe kalashila ng'ina kudwa mu thundu ya atapa.
- English26
The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks.
African KalangaNgono bulemo gwe mang'ina aakakumbila gukabe shekele dzili tjiwulu tjina mazana ali kutendeka (1 700), kuzhe kwe ndalama ne zwinonakisa zebe ne zwiambalo zwe bushaba gwakabondelela zwinombagwa na mambo we Bamidiyani, na kuzhe kwe ketani dzakabe dzili mu mitshiba ye kamela dzabo.
- English27
Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
African KalangaNgono Gidiyoni kathama Efodi ye golide kaibiga mu nzi uwe mu Ofira. Ngono Baiziraela bakathama bupombgwe ngokuithigamila se ndzimwana, ngono kukabe bhuzhu kuna Gidiyoni ne bensha uwe.
- English28
Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years.
African KalangaNdizo Bamidiyani bakayisiwa pasi mbeli kwe Baiziraela ngono bakasitjaduse nsholo kakale. Shango ikabe nge kunyalala kwe makole ali makumi manna mu mazhuba a Gidiyoni.
- African Kalanga
Shule kwe ngwa, Jerubhaale iye Gidiyoni nkololo wa Joashi kayenda kanogala mu ng'umba iye.
- African Kalanga
Gidiyoni wakabe ana bakololo bali makumi ali kutendeka (70) kuli bana babe, ngoti wakabe ana bakadzi banjinji.
- African Kalanga
Tjamba tjitje tjakabe tjigala mu Shekemu tjakanzwalilabo nkololo ngono kandana eti Abimeleki.
- English32
Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
African KalangaGidiyoni nkololo wa Joashi kafa atjikwegula ngono kabiganyiwa mu ikumbu tja tate babe Joashi ku Ofira we Baabiyezeri.
- English33
No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal- Berith as their god and
African KalangaKwakati koga Gidiyoni atjambofa, bathu be Iziraela bakashanduka kakale bakathama bupombgwe na bo Bhaale. Bakabiga Bhaaleberiti kube ndzimu wabo.
- English34
did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.
African KalangaNgono bathu be Iziraela bakasitjakumbule Yahwe Ndzimu wabo iye wakabasunungula mu maboko e zwita zwabo kudwa mu midzibo yose.
- English35
They also failed to show kindness to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done for them.
African KalangaBakakong'wa lakidza lubu kuna bensha wa Jerubhaale iye Gidiyoni mu zwithu zwakanaka zwaakathamila Iziraela.
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.