The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Numbers 16English
Mbalo 16African Kalanga
- English1
Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites–Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth–became insolent
African KalangaNdizo Kora nkololo wa Izha, Izha ali nkololo wa Kohati, Kohati ali nkololo wa Levi, kukoti Dathani na Abiramu bali bakololo ba Eliyabu kudwapo Oni nkololo wa Peleti, Peleti na Eliyabu bali bakololo ba Rubheni, bakapandukila Mushe.
- English2
and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.
African KalangaBakamilika bakamukila Mushe, bazhadziwa nge balume bali mazana mabili ana makumi mashanu (250) bakabe bali batungamili be gubungano, bashalugwa mu gubungano bali balume bana tjilumbi.
- English3
They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”
African KalangaBakanokubungana mbeli kwa Mushe na Aroni, bakabadwa bakati, “Mapindilila kwazo! Mmwe ne mmwe mu gubungano ileli wakayengemala, Yahwe banaye, ngono ngwenu ini makazwituthumadza kupinda, mu gubungano la Yahwe?”
- African Kalanga
Kukati Mushe ewha nge kwa ikoku, kathigama kakotamila pasi.
- English5
Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him.
African KalangaShule kadwa Kora ne batobeli babe bose kati, “Tjimuka mangwanana Yahwe banowolakidza kuti wabo ndiupi, ne kuti wakayengemala ndiani, banonsedzedza pejo nabo, iye wabanowoshalula banonsedzedza pejo nabo.
- African Kalanga
Iwe Kora, ne batobeli babo bose mumuke, mutole zwikambana zwe moto,
- English7
and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”
African Kalangamulonge masimbe anopisa mu zwili, mupise motsha mbeli kwa Yahwe, ngono nlume unowoshalugwa ndi Yahwe ndiye unowobe akayengemala. Mapindilila kwazo, bakololo ba Levi!”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Mushe kadwa Kora kati, “Tjiwhani imwi bakololo ba Levi.
- English9
Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them?
African KalangaApa kuthu kutukununu kuti Ndzimu we Iziraela ube wakamushalula pakati kwe gubungano le Iziraela, umusedzedza pejo nawo, kube bashingili mu bugalo gwa Yahwe kene? Ne kuti mume mbeli kwe gubungano mulishingila kene?
- English10
He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.
African KalangaKakale Ndzimu wakamusedzedza pejo nawo, nenge zwikamu zwenyu bakololo ba Levi, apa moshaka ne bupirisiti pezhugwi kwa ikoku kene?
- English11
It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?”
African KalangaIwe ne batobeli babo makubunganila kuwobhayana na Yahwe. Aroni ndiani dumbu wamungang'ong'ola nge kukwe kene?”
- English12
Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, “We will not come!
African KalangaMushe kabe eti kunodang'wa Dathani na Abiramu bakololo ba Eliyabu, koga bakadabila beti, “Atitowozha.
- English13
Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us?
African KalangaApa unokutola bulelu kube wakatidusa mu shango inowunga nkaka ne butji gwe nyutji, kuwotibulayila mu tjilambanyika, ube uzwithama nlauli mutili kene?
- English14
Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? No, we will not come!”
African KalangaKakale auzotikotosa mu shango inowunga nkaka ne butji gwe nyutji, kene kuli kutipa thaka ye minda ne minda dze mizhambi. Apa wakazwimisila kutibiga ludandi mu mesho kene? Atitowozha!”
- English15
Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, “Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.”
African KalangaMushe kazhala bushongola kadwa Yahwe kati, “Musitongo amutjila zwibhayilo zwabo. Andizotongo tolela mmwe wabo donki, kene kuli kutjinyidzila mmwe wabo tjimwe.”
- English16
Moses said to Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the Lord tomorrow–you and they and Aaron.
African KalangaMushe kadwa Kora kati, “Iwe ne batobeli babo mangwana mumuke muzhe mbeli kwa Yahwe, Aroni unowobe alipobo.
- English17
Each man is to take his censer and put incense in it-250 censers in all–and present it before the Lord. You and Aaron are to present your censers also.”
African KalangaMmwe ne mmwe azhe ne lukambana gugwe kwe moto mbeli kwa Yahwe, mmwe ne mmwe alonge motsha muguli, ali makambana ali mazana mabili ana makumi mashanu (250) na Aroni azhebo ne gugwe.”
- English18
So each man took his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
African KalangaIpapo mmwe ne mmwe kazha ne lukambana gugwe gwe moto guna masimbe anopisa mukati, bakalonga motsha pezhugwi kwe masimbe, bakanoma pa nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo bana Mushe na Aroni.
- English19
When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire assembly.
African KalangaNdizo Kora kakubunganyila gubungano lose pa nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo. Ngono kukaboneka tjedza tja Yahwe mbeli kwe gubungano lose.
- African Kalanga
Yahwe bakadwa Mushe na Aroni bakati,
- African Kalanga
“Milani kutjena ne gubungano ileli, kuti ndibalobese tjinyolotjo.”
- English22
But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?”
African KalangaKoga Mushe na Aroni bakathigama bakakotamisa njiso dzabo pasi, bakatembezela beti, “Imwi Ndzimu: Ndzimu we meya ye zwinotjila zose, apa mungazhalila gubungano lose bushongola ngono kwatjinya nthu nng'ompela kene?”
- African Kalanga
Yahwe bakadwa Mushe Bakati,
- African Kalanga
“Idwa gubungano libhude mu nzi wa Kora na Dathani na Abiramu.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Mushe kamilika ana batungamili be Iziraela, bakayenda kuna Dathani na Abiramu.
- English26
He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.”
African KalangaKaswika kadwa gubungano kati, “Ndomukumbila idwani ipapa, mu mishasha ye bathu ibaba babiibi, musitongo bhata tjimwe tjabo, kusajalo mowolobesiwa nabo ngekwe zwibi zwabo.”
- English27
So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents.
African KalangaNdizo gubungano likadwa pa mishasha ya Kora na Dathani na Abiramu. Ngono Dathani na Abiramu bakabhuda ne bakadzi ne bana babo, bakama pa mikoba ye mishasha yabo.
- English28
Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea:
African KalangaMushe kadwa gubungano kati, “Ndiko sekwa munowoziba kuti Yahwe bandituma kuthama mishingo yose iyeyi, andizozwithamigwa nge kwangu.
- English29
If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the Lord has not sent me.
African KalangaHa bathu ibaba bangafa lufu gwakawolobeleka se bathu bose, kene bangafa nge zila ye bathu yabagala befa ndiyo, ipapo kowobe kudwa kuti Yahwe abazondituma.
- English30
But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.”
African KalangaKoga ha Yahwe bangathama tjimwe tjitshwa, pasi pakaashama, pakabamidza, ne zwithu zwabo zose bebe beyenda ku bugalo gwe bafi bali bapenyu, ipapo mowoziba kuti bathu ibaba bakalengudza Yahwe.”
- African Kalanga
Kukati Mushe epedza leba matama wose iyawa, pasi pakapaluka kusi kwabo,
- English32
and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah’s men and all their possessions.
African Kalangapakazhuka nlomo kukabamidzilanya ne misha yabo, ne balume bose bakabe bana Kora ne zwija zwabo.
- English33
They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.
African KalangaBose ne zwabakabe banazo bakayenda ku bugalo gwe bafi bali bapenyu, pasi kukabazhalilila, bakaloba bedwa pakati kwe gubungano.
- English34
At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”
African KalangaBathu bose be Iziraela bakabe bali ipapo, bakati bewha makuwo abo, bakatizha, bemimila beti, “Ngatitizheni! Pasi panodwa petimidzabo!”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Yahwe bakadelusa moto ukapisa ukalobesa bathu ibaba bakabe bali mazana mabili ana makumi mashanu (250) bakabe bazhisa motsha.
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati,
- English37
“Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to take the censers out of the smoldering remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy–
African Kalanga“Idwa Eleazari nkololo we mpirisiti Aroni aduse makambana anopisila motsha mu moto, aduse masimbe mu makambana aapaladzile kutjena, ngobe makambana akayengemala.
- English38
the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.”
African KalangaKatsha makambana iyawa e balume bakafa bebulawa nge zwibi zwabo, uthame zwifumiko zwe tjibeso, ngobe bakaadusa mbeli kwa Yahwe, akayengemala. Ndizo anowobe tjilakidzo ku bathu be Iziraela.”
- English39
So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,
African KalangaIpapo Eleazari katola makambana akathamwa nge phangula, akadusiwa nge balume bakapisiwa, kaakatsha kathama ndigwana dzinofumika tjibeso.
- English40
as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.
African KalangaTjakabe ikumbuludzo, kukumbuludza bathu be Iziraela, kuti kusibe ne nthu usi mpirisiti, usi we bakololo ba Aroni, wakafanila sedzela pejo kupisa motsha mbeli kwa Yahwe. Ha angathama eijalo unowobona tjakabong'wa ndi Kora ne batobeli babe. I ndaulo yakapiwa Eleazari, kubudziwa Mushe.
- English41
The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.
African KalangaTjimuka gubungano likang'ong'ola kuna Mushe na Aroni liti, “Makabulaya bathu ba Yahwe.”
- English42
But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.
African KalangaKukati gubungano lakubunganila kung'ong'ola kuna Mushe na Aroni, likatjebuka ku nshasha we bushanganilo, ngono bonani, gole likabe lakaufukidza, kukaboneka tjedza tja Yahwe.
- African Kalanga
Mushe na Aroni bakayenda bakanoma mbeli kwe nshasha we bushanganilo.
- African Kalanga
Ngono Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati,
- African Kalanga
“Bhudila kutjena ne gubungano ileli, kuti ndililobese tjinyolotjo!” Mushe na Aroni bakathigama bakakotamisa njiso dzabo pasi.
- English46
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.”
African KalangaNgono Mushe kadwa Aroni kati, “Tola lukambana gugo gwe moto, ukokele masimbe anopisa muguli kudwa mu tjibeso. Ube ulonga motsha muguli, tjinyolotjo ugusengele ku gubungano, ubathamile gadzano na Yahwe, ngobe bushongola gwa Yahwe gwaswika ne tjiga tjatangisa.”
- English47
So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them.
African KalangaIpapo Aroni kathama sekwa adwiwa ndi Mushe. Kalabukila pakati kwe gubungano, ngono bona, tjiga tjikabe tjatangisa kale, pakati kwe bathu. Kalonga motsha mu moto kathamila bathu gadzano na Yahwe.
- African Kalanga
Kama ali pakati kwe zwitumbu ne bapenyu, tjiga tjikama.
- English49
But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.
African KalangaBathu bakabe bafa nge tjiga bakabe bali zwiwulu zwili gumi lina bunna ne mazana ali kutendeka (14 700) kuzhe kwe bakafa nge mishingo ya Kora.
- English50
Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.
African KalangaKukati tjiga tjatjima, Aroni kashandukila kuna Mushe ku nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo.
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.