The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Nehemiah 13English
Nehemiya 13African Kalanga
- English1
On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,
African KalangaKwakati mu zhuba ilelo labakabe bebalila bathu lukwalo gwa Mushe, bakanowila panoti kusibe N'amoni kene Moabu ungadumigwa kungina mu gubungano le Ndzimu nenge limwe zhuba,
- English2
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)
African Kalangangobe abazo bhatsha Baiziraela nge zojiwa nenge vula koga bakatapa Bhalamu kuti abalonge bhiso ndizo Ndzimu wedu ukashandula bhiso ilelo likabe gombolelo.
- African Kalanga
Baiziraela bakati bewha nlayo iwoyo ubagwa bakazwidusa mu bazhi kuti basibe mubali.
- English4
Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,
African KalangaMbeli kwa ikoku, Eliyashibi we mpirisiti wakabe abigwa ali iye wakalingisana nge kutjengeta matula e Ng'umba ye Ndzimu wedu, wakabe eshinga kwazo kwazo na Tobiya,
- English5
and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.
African Kalangangono wakalulwamisila Tobiya ng'umba whuluwhulu yakabe ishingisiwa kubiganyigwa zwipo zwe mathunde ne zwino nnuwisa zwakanaka ne zwimwe zwija zwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ne zwebugumi zwe mathunde ne nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta, izo zwakabe zwadusiwa nge nlayo wakapiwa Balevi ne bambi ne balingilili be mikoba ne bapirisiti.
- English6
But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission
African KalangaKoga izwezwi zwakati zwishingikala ndakabe ndisi ku Jerusalema, ngobe mu gole le bumakole matatu ana makole mabili (32) ili gole la Atazezasi mambo we Bhabhiloni ndakayenda kuna mambo, koga shule kwe gole akumbila mambo kuti bandisunungule ndi bgwilile.
- English7
and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God.
African KalangaNdizo wali azha mu Jerusalema, ngono abona bubi gwakathamwa ndi Eliyashibi gwekululwamisila Tobiya ng'umba mu bhakasa le Ng'umba ye Ndzimu.
- African Kalanga
Ngono ndakagwadza moyo kwazo, atola zwija zwa Tobiya azwiposela kuzhe.
- English9
I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.
African KalangaNgono kudwapo adusa ndaulo kuti ng'umba iyeyi itjenapadziwe, kube kubgwiliziwa zwija zose zwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu nge tjipo tje mathunde ne tjinonuwha zwakanaka.
- English10
I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.
African KalangaNdakawana ili kuti Balevi abazopiwa mitezho yabo, ngono awana ili kuti Balevi ne bambi bakabe bakalingisana nge nshingo we Ng'umba ye Ndzimu bakabgwilila ku minda yabo.
- English11
So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?” Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.
African KalangaNdakatukanya batungamili kuti ini Ng'umba ye Ndzimu yakaletjedzegwa. Ngono kudwapo ndakabadana abakubunganya ngono ababiga nge magalo abo.
- African Kalanga
Bathu bose be Juda bakazhisa zwebugumi zwe mathunde ne nkumbi we zhambi ne mafuta ku matula.
- English13
I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers.
African KalangaNdakatola Shelemiya we mpirisiti na Zadoki we nkwalili na Pedaya we Nlevi ababiga kuti babe batjengeti be matula, ndakadwapo nditola Hanani nkololo wa Zakhuri, Zakhuri ali nkololo wa Mataniya kuti abe mbatshi wabo. Ndakatola balume ibaba ngobe bakabe bali balume banogalikabgwe kwazo, ndizo nshingo wabo wakabe uli kukoba zwimu matula.
- English14
Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.
African KalangaNdzimu wangu, mundikumbule ngekwa ikoku kwandakathama, ndomukumbila kuti musifupatile zwandakathama nge kugalabgwe ndithamila ng'umba yenyu, Ndzimu wangu ne nge mishingo inobhatigwa muili.
- English15
In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.
African KalangaKwakati mu mazhuba iyawo abona bathu be Juda beswina nkumbi nge zhuba le Sabata kakale bezhisa mathunde ne zhambi ne phaya ne zwimwe zwinjinji zwakasengwa nge madonki. Bakabe bezhisa zose izwezwi ku Jerusalema nge zhuba le Sabata, ndizo abatjemelela kutengesa mu zhuba ilelo.
- English16
Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah.
African KalangaBamwe bathu be nzi we Tire bakabe begala mu Jerusalema bakabe bezhisa whobe ne zwimwe zwithu zwakasiyana siyana ku Jerusalema, bezwitengesela bathu be Juda nge zhuba le Sabata.
- English17
I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing–desecrating the Sabbath day?
African KalangaNgono ndakatukanya batungamili be Juda abadwa nditi, “Bubi gweni gungapa ngapa gwa munothama, mu temapadza zhuba le Sabata kene?
- English18
Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”
African KalangaKuti Ndzimu akowozhisa mang'oni iyawa mangapa mutili ne mu nzi nkulu, bobatategulu bedu abazobe bathama beijali kene? Ngono ngwenu mowandisa bushongola mu Baiziraela ngo temapadza zhuba le Sabata kene?”
- English19
When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.
African KalangaKwakati kutewusila mu madekwana adusa ndaulo kuti mikoba ye Jerusalema izhaligwe kusathu kukabe zhuba le Sabata, ngekuti kakale mikoba isizhugwe kuswikilila zhuba le Sabata lapinda. Ndakabiga balume bangu ku mikoba kuti kusibe mitolo inongina kene inozhisiwa nge zhuba le Sabata.
- English20
Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.
African KalangaKwakabe tjibaka nge tjibaka batengesi be thundu bakabe belala kuzhe kwe Jerusalema.
- English21
But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath.
African KalangaKoga ndakabatjemela abadwa nditi, “Ini muizela pa makuma kene? Ha muthama muijali ndowomukubadza.” Kudwa tjose mu zhuba ilelo abazotjazha mu zhuba le Sabata.
- English22
Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.
African KalangaKudwapo ndakadwa Balevi kuti bazwitjenapadze, babe beyenda banolingilila ku mikoba kuti ndizo zhuba le Sabata ligale lakatjenapala. Mundikumbule ngekwa ikoku kakale Ndzimu wangu, mube nge ludo gwenyu gusingazunguzike.
- English23
Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.
African KalangaMu mazhuba iyawo ndakawana kakale balume be Juda bakabe bakalobola bakadzi Baashidodi ne Amoni ne Moabu.
- English24
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language of Judah.
African KalangaGwamu le bana babo bakabe belebeleka Tjiashidodi kene ndimi ye ludzi gupoga koga basingatubule kulebeleka lulimi gwe Tjijuta.
- English25
I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.
African KalangaNdakabatuka, abalonga bhiso, bamwe balume ibo abaloba, asimula mavudzi abo, abatunisa mu zina le Ndzimu kuti abatjowopapha belobodza bakololokadzi babo ku bathu be bataya kene kuli kulobolela bakololo babo kene ibo bakalobola bakadzi be bataya.
- English26
Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.
African KalangaAte ili iyo ndobolo yakajali yakathama kuti Solomoni mambo we Iziraela atjinye kene? Mu zwitjaba zwinjinji kwakabe kusina mambo unonga iye. Wakabe ediwa nge Ndzimu uwe, kakale Ndzimu ukabiga kuti abe mambo we Iziraela, ne kwakajalo wakakwebegwa ku jinyo nge bakadzi be bataya.
- English27
Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”
African KalangaApa takafanila wha mbipo yose iyeyi yamunothama kene, mutjinyila Ndzimu wedu ngolobola bakadzi mu bataya kene?
- English28
One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.
African KalangaMmwe we bakololo ba Jehoyada we nkololo wa Eliyashibi ntungamili we bapirisiti wakabe ali nkwasha wa Sanibalati we N'hori ngono ndakantata.
- English29
Remember them, O my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
African KalangaNdzimu wangu, kumbulani koga kuti bakatemapadza tjini mishingo ye bupirisiti ne tjidumano tje bupirisiti ne Balevi.
- English30
So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task.
African KalangaNdizo ndakatjenapadza bapirisiti ne Balevi mu zwithu zose zwe Bezwitjaba ngono abapa mishingo yabo yakabalingisana.
- English31
I also made provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me with favor, O my God.
African KalangaNdakalulwamisila kuzhisiwa kwe whuni dzinobesiwa akupisiwa zwibhayilo kuti dzizhisiwe nge tjibaka tjakafanila ne nge mitjelo yekutanga. Ndizo Ndzimu wangu ibeni nge lubu mu ndikumbule.
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.