The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Leviticus 22English
Zwipo 22African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Ngono Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati,
- English2
“Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord.
African Kalanga“Budza Aroni ne bakololo babe kuti batete zwipo zwakayengemala zwe bathu be Iziraela zwabanondidusila, kuti ndizo basitemapadze zina langu lakayengemala, ndimi Yahwe.
- English3
“Say to them: ‘For the generations to come, if any of your descendants is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person must be cut off from my presence. I am the Lord.
African KalangaHa mmwe we ludzi gugo kuyenda nge zwizekugwana zwizo zose esedzela pa zwipo zwakayengemala, zwinodusigwa Yahwe nge bathu be Iziraela akatemapala, ngaathubugwe adwe pandilipo, ndimi Yahwe.
- English4
“ ‘If a descendant of Aaron has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen,
African Kalanga“Kusitongoita mmwe we ludzi gwa Aroni ungati egwala bugwele gwe mapele kene tjigwele kaja tjimwe tje zwakayengemala kudzina etjenapadziwa. Ungakutha tjimwe tjakatemapala nge kukuthana ne bafi kene ne nlume alasha mbewu ye bulume,
- English5
or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be.
African Kalangakene ha akuthana ne tjimwe tje zwitjili zwinokambayila kene nthu wakatemapala,
- English6
The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water.
African Kalanganthu wakajalo wakutha tjakatemapala, unowotemapala kuswikila zhuba lingina ngono asitongoja tjimwe tje zwakayengemala kuzhe kwe angula mbili.
- English7
When the sun goes down, he will be clean, and after that he may eat the sacred offerings, for they are his food.
African KalangaHa zhuba langina unowobe atjenapala, ngono shule kwa ipapo ungaja zojiwa zwakayengemala, ngoti zojiwa zwizwe.
- English8
He must not eat anything found dead or torn by wild animals, and so become unclean through it. I am the Lord.
African KalangaTjazwifila kene tjabulawa nge tjibandana asitjije kuzwitemapadza nditjo, ndimi Yahwe.
- English9
“ ‘The priests are to keep my requirements so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.
African Kalanga“Bapirisiti balondolodze nlayo wangu, kusajalo, banowosenga tjibi bakafa ha baulengudza, ndimi Yahwe unobayengemadza.
- English10
“ ‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.
African Kalanga“Zojiwa zwakayengemala zojiwa nge be ng'umba ye bupirisiti koga, azwitojiwa nge ntaya kene nlanda we mpirisiti.
- English11
But if a priest buys a slave with money, or if a slave is born in his household, that slave may eat his food.
African KalangaKoga nlanda wakatengwa nge mari kene wakazwaligwa mu nsha we mpirisiti ungazwija.
- English12
If a priest’s daughter marries anyone other than a priest, she may not eat any of the sacred contributions.
African KalangaHa nkololokadzi we mpirisiti alobogwa nge nlume usi mpirisiti asitongoja zojiwa zwe zwipo zwakayengemala.
- English13
But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or is divorced, yet has no children, and she returns to live in her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat of her father’s food. No unauthorized person, however, may eat any of it.
African KalangaKoga ha nkololokadzi we mpirisiti ali tjilikadzi kene akapalaligwa nge nsha kakale asina mwana, egala mu nsha wa tate babe, semu butjetjana gugwe, ungaja zojiwa zwa tate babe. Kusibe ne unodwa kuzhe kwe bupirisiti ungazwija.
- English14
“ ‘If anyone eats a sacred offering by mistake, he must make restitution to the priest for the offering and add a fifth of the value to it.
African Kalanga“Ha nthu angaja zojiwa zwe tjipo tjakayengemala asakafanila, apaphe pezhugwi kwe themba yatjo nge kung'ompela mu bushanu gwe themba yatjo, abe epa mpirisiti tjipo tjakayengemala.
- African Kalanga
Bapirisiti basitongolengudza zwipo zwakayengemala zwe bathu be Iziraela, zwabadusila Yahwe,
- English16
by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’”
African Kalangangoletja bathu beja zojiwa zwakayengemala kube kuzhisa mu bali tjibi ne nlandu ngoti batemapadza zwipo zwakayengemala, ndimi Yahwe unoyengemadza zwipo.”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati,
- English18
“Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you–either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel–presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering,
African Kalanga“Lebeleka na Aroni ne bakololo babe ne bathu bose be Iziraela uti, ‘Ha mmwe webe ng'umba ye Iziraela kene ntaya umu Iziraela eyisa tjipo tjili tjipo tje kutuna kene tjili tjipo tje moyo ntjena tjipiwa Yahwe se tjibhayilo tjinopisiwa,
- English19
you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.
African Kalangakuti tjiamutjigwe ngatjibe tjili tjilume tjisina bulema, kungabe ng'ombe kene pkhwizi kene mbudzi.
- African Kalanga
Usitongo dusa tjimwe tjina bulema, ngobe atjingaamutjigwe mu bumo gugo.
- English21
When anyone brings from the herd or flock a fellowship offering to the Lord to fulfill a special vow or as a freewill offering, it must be without defect or blemish to be acceptable.
African KalangaNgono ha kuna unodusila Yahwe tjibhayilo tje mbakisano tje tjipo tje kutuna kene tje tjipo tje moyo ntjena, kudwa mu ng'ombe kene mu ngubi, kuti tjiamutjigwe ngatjibe tjili tjibuyanana tjisina bulema mutjili.
- English22
Do not offer to the Lord the blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores. Do not place any of these on the altar as an offering made to the Lord by fire.
African KalangaZwithuwo zwina bupofu kene zwakavunika, kene zwinoshudza, kene zwina malonda, kene zwakagugumuka mibili zwisitongodusigwa Yahwe kene kuthamiwa tjipo tjinopisiwa mu moto mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo kupiwa Yahwe.
- English23
You may, however, present as a freewill offering an ox or a sheep that is deformed or stunted, but it will not be accepted in fulfillment of a vow.
African KalangaNkong'wana kene pkhwizana ina bulema gwe kupindana kwe ndungululo ingadusigwa tjibhayilo tje tjipo tje moyo ntjena, koga aingadusigwe tjibhayilo tje tjipo tje kutuna kwe nthu.
- English24
You must not offer to the Lord an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. You must not do this in your own land,
African KalangaIthuwo tjakazwimba kene tjakakatshigwa kene tjasunugwa, tjisitongodusigwa Yahwe kene kutjithama tjibhayilo mu shango yenyu.
- English25
and you must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects.’”
African Kalanga“ ‘Zwithuwo zwatogwa mu bataya zwisitongodusiwa kube zojiwa zwe Ndzimu wenyu. Zwithuwo zwina bulema nge kusunugwa kwazo, azwingaamutjigwe mu bumo gwenyu.’ ”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bati,
- English27
“When a calf, a lamb or a goat is born, it is to remain with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day on, it will be acceptable as an offering made to the Lord by fire.
African Kalanga“Phulu, kene pkhwizana kene mbudzana yazwagwa igale mazhuba ali kutendeka na mayi, ndiko kwainoti kudwa mu zhuba le buzhanakadzi, ikaamutjilika kuti ingadusiwa ikathamwa tjipo tjinopisiwa mu moto tjipisigwa Yahwe.
- African Kalanga
Musitongo bulaya ng'ombe kene pkhwizi ne mwana wayo mu zhuba ling'ompela.
- English29
“When you sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf.
African KalangaHa muyisa tjibhayilo tje mboko kuna Yahwe mutjiyisile kuti muamutjigwe.
- African Kalanga
Tjijiwe zhuba ilelo, kusibe ne tjimwe tjatjo tjingasala kuswikila tjimuka, ndimi Yahwe.
- African Kalanga
“Ndizo mulondolodze milayo yangu kakale muithame, ndimi Yahwe.
- English32
Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who makes you holy
African KalangaNgono musitongo lengudza zina langu lakayengemala, koga ndowoyengemadziwa pakati kwe bathu be Iziraela, ndimi Yahwe unomuyengemadza,
- African Kalanga
wakamudusa mu shango ye Egipiti kube Ndzimu wenyu, ndimi Yahwe.”
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.