The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Numbers 20English
Mbalo 20African Kalanga
- English1
In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
African KalangaMu mwedzi we kutanga gubungano lose le bathu be Iziraela likaswika mu tjilambanyika tje Zini, likakotokela mu Kadeshi. Miriamu kafa kabiganyigwa ko.
- English2
Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.
African KalangaKwakabe kusina vula ye gubungano, ngono bathu bakazwikubunganya bakamukila Mushe na Aroni.
- English3
They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!
African KalangaBakadwa Mushe bakati, “Apa kobe kusakayita atabe takafila mbeli kwa Yahwe tjibaka tjakafa zwikamu zwedu kene?
- English4
Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?
African KalangaApa ini makazhisa gubungano la Yahwe mu tjilambanyika itjetji kene? Makatizhisila kuti towofa iswi ne zwithuwo zwedu kene?
- English5
Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
African KalangaIni makatidusa mu Egipiti mutizhisa mu shango mbiimbi yakajali kene? Akuna paungawana thunde kene mpaya kene zhambi kene mitjelo ye pomegiranate, kakale akuna nenge vula inong'wiwa!”
- English6
Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
African KalangaMushe na Aroni bakabhuda mu gubungano bakayendila ku nkoba we nshasha we bushanganilo. Bakathingama bakakotamisa njiso dzabo. Ngono tjedza tja Yahwe tjikazwilakidza ku bali.
- African Kalanga
Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati,
- English8
“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
African Kalanga“Tola ludozo mukubunganye gubungano iwe ne nkulu uwo Aroni, mudwe shongwe mbeli kwe gubungano kuti iwungise vula yayo. Ndizo inobadusila vula, ube upa gubungano vula ling'we libe ling'wisa ne zwithuwo zwalo.”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Mushe katola ludozo mbeli kwa Yahwe sekwa bakandwa.
- English10
He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
African KalangaMushe na Aroni bakakubunganyila gubungano mbeli kwe shongwe, ngono bakalidwa beti, “Tjiwhani ngwenu, imwi bapanduki, apa timudusile vula mu shongwe iyeyi kene?”
- English11
Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
African KalangaMushe kamilidza ludozo gugwe kaloba shongwe ndigo kabili, ngono kukapubuka vula isishoma gubungano likang'wa nenge zwithuwo zwalo.
- English12
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
African KalangaKoga Yahwe bakadwa Mushe na Aroni bakati, “Ngoti amuzogalamoyo mundili kakale amuzondipa gudzo mbeli kwe Baiziraela, ndizoke amutjonokotosa gubungano ileli mu shango yandakati ndobapa iyo.”
- English13
These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he showed himself holy among them.
African KalangaIkoku kwakashingikala ku vula dze Meriba, Baiziraela pa bakang'ong'ola nge kwa Yahwe, ngono Yahwe bakazwilakidza ku bali kuti bakayengemala.
- English14
Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: “This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us.
African KalangaMushe wakatuma batumwa kudwa mu Kadeshi kuna mambo we Edomu eti, “Mwana wa tate babo Iziraela kati, ‘Unoziba bulemo gwakatiwila;
- English15
Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,
African Kalangabobatategulu bedu sekwa bakabhuda beyenda ku Egipiti, ngono tikagala makole manjinji mu Egipiti, Baegipiti bakatidziyidza na bobatategulu bedu.
- English16
but when we cried out to the Lord, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. “Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.
African KalangaNgono takati tililila kuna Yahwe bakatiwha. Bakatuma ntumwa we kudzimu kutidusa mu shango ye Egipiti. Ngono ngwenu timu Kadeshi, nzi nkulu umu n'gathu we ntuthu wenyu.
- English17
Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king’s highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
African KalangaTokumbila palama shango yenyu. Ngono atitowobhuda mu zila, kene kuli kupalama minda ye mizhambi, nenguba kuli kung'wa vula mu matshime enyu. Towotobela zila, atitowobhudila ku luji, kene ku lumeshwe, kudzina tinobhuda mu ntuthu wenyu.’ ”
- English18
But Edom answered: “You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”
African KalangaKoga Edomu kan'dabila eti, “Amungapalame shango yedu. Amungajalo towobhuda nge mathumo tikabhayana namwi.”
- English19
The Israelites replied: “We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot–nothing else.”
African KalangaNgono Baiziraela bakankumbila beti, “Towotobela zila koga, ngono ha iswi kene zwithuwo zwedu zwingang'wa vula yenyu, towoilipa, tokumbila pinda koga, kusina tjimwe kakale.”
- English20
Again they answered: “You may not pass through.” Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.
African KalangaKoga Edomu kadwa Iziraela kati, “Aungapaleme ntuthu wangu.” Edomu kabhuda ne balume bali banjinji, be babhayani bakasima.
- African Kalanga
Ngono ngoti Edomu akalamba Baiziraela bepalama ntuthu uwe, ndizo Baiziraela bakashanduka bakansiya.
- African Kalanga
Gubungano lose le Iziraela likamilika mu Kadeshi, likanoswika ku Dombo le Hori.
- African Kalanga
Yahwe bakadwa Mushe na Aroni bali ku Dombo le Hori, pa n'gathu we Edomu bakati,
- English24
“Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.
African Kalanga“Aroni aatowongina mu shango yandakapa bathu be Iziraela, unowofa, ngoti makapandukila nlayo wangu ku vula dze Meriba.
- African Kalanga
Tola Aroni ne nkololo uwe Eleazari utathile nabo pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Hori.
- English26
Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.”
African KalangaNgono uambule Aroni zwiambalo zwizwe uzwiambadze nkololo uwe Eleazari, ngobe Aroni unofila pezhugwi kwe dombo.”
- English27
Moses did as the Lord commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.
African KalangaMushe kathama sekwa laula Yahwe, ngono bakatathila pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Hori, gubungano lose lakabalinga.
- English28
Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,
African KalangaNgono Mushe kaambula Aroni zwiambalo zwizwe kazwiambadza Eleazari nkololo uwe. Aroni kafila ipapo pezhugwi kwe dombo. Ndizo Mushe na Eleazari bakadeluka pezhugwi kwe dombo.
- English29
and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.
African KalangaKukati gubungano lose libona kuti Aroni wafa, likalilila Aroni kwe mazhuba ali makumi matatu (30).
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.