The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
Old Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Numbers 21English
Mbalo 21African Kalanga
- English1
When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.
African KalangaKukati mambo we Aradi we N'kanana wakabe egala ku burwa ewha kuti Baiziraela banozha nge zila ye Atharimu, kagwa ne Iziraela katapa bamwe babo.
- English2
Then Israel made this vow to the Lord: “If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities.”
African KalangaNgono Baiziraela bakatuna kuna Yahwe beti, “Tjoselele ha mungalonga bathu ibaba mu maboko edu, towokolomodza mizi yabo mikulu.”
- English3
The Lord listened to Israel’s plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakateedza Baiziraela, bakalonga Bakanana mu maboko abo, Baiziraela bakakolomodza mizi mikulu ye Bakanana, pathu ipapo pakadang'wa kuyi Horima.
- English4
They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
African KalangaBakati bebhuda mu Dombo le Hori bakayenda nge zila ye Gungwa Shaba kuti bapoteleke Edomu. Koga bathu bakanyala moyo batji mu zila.
- English5
they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
African KalangaNgono Bathu bakang'ong'ola ngekwe Ndzimu na Mushe beti, “Apa ini makatidusa ku shango ye Egipiti towofila mu tjilambanyika itjetji, pasina zojiwa kene vula? Tatjinyala nge zojiwa izwezwi zwisi zwe tjimwe!”
- English6
Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
African KalangaIpapo Yahwe bakatumila nyoka dzina bushungu gunobulaya ku bathu, dzikaluma bathu, ndizo Baiziraela banjinji bakafa.
- English7
The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
African KalangaBathu bakazha kuna Mushe bakandwa bakati, “Takatjinya, ngobe takang'ong'ola kuna Yahwe nawe, tembezela kuna Yahwe baduse nyoka pakati kwedu.” Ndizo Mushe katembezelela bathu.
- English8
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
African KalangaNgono Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Thama nyoka ye phangula, ube uitilika mu bhango, ngono mmwe ne mmwe unowobe alumwa, ailinge unowopola.”
- English9
So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
African KalangaMushe kathama nyoka nge phangula kaitilika mu bhango, ngono ha nyoka yaluma nthu, unowobe elinga ku nyoka ye phangula ebe epola.
- African Kalanga
Bathu be Iziraela bakamilika bakanokotokela ku Oboti.
- English11
Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the desert that faces Moab toward the sunrise.
African KalangaBakamilika bedwa mu Oboti, bakanokotokela ku Iyeabarimu, mu tjilambanyika ku bhezhuba kwe ntuthu we Moabu.
- African Kalanga
Kudwa ipapo bakamilika, bakanokotokela mu nkuku we Zeredi.
- English13
They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon, which is in the desert extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.
African KalangaKudwa ipapo baka milika, bakanokotokela seli kwe gwizi gwe Arinoni. Mu tjilambanyika tjinoabilila ku n'gathu we ntuthu we Baamori, ngoti Arinoni n'gathu we Moabu, upakati kwe Moabu ne Arinoni.
- English14
That is why the Book of the Wars of the Lord says: “?Waheb in Suphah and the ravines, the Arnon
African KalangaNdizo kwakalebgwa nge kwako mu Lukwalo gwa Yahwe gwe Ngwa kuyi, “Wahebe mu Sufa, ne mikuku ye Arinoni,
- English15
and the slopes of the ravines that lead to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab.”
African Kalangane nkungulukila we mikuku unoabilila ku bugalo gwe Ari, yakasupha ne n'gathu we Moabu.”
- English16
From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”
African KalangaKudwa ipapo bakadwilila bakanoti ku Bheeri, ku tshime lakadwiwa Mushe ndi Yahwe beti, “Kubunganya bathu bose, ndowobapa vula.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Iziraela kamba lumbo igogu eti, “Tshime dwilila vula iyo, Ngono towoidumilisa nge lumbo:
- English18
about the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank–the nobles with scepters and staffs.” Then they went from the desert to Mattanah,
African KalangaTshime lakatshiwa nge makulukota, Lakatshiwa nge batungamili be bathu, Litshiwa nge ludozo gwe bushe Belitsha nge wombo dzabo.” Bakamilika mu tjilambanyika bakanoti ku Matana.
- African Kalanga
Ngono kudwa ipapo bakayenda ku Nahaliele, kudwa ku Nahaliele bakayenda ku Bhamoti.
- African Kalanga
Kudwa mu Bhamoti bakayenda kunoti ku nkuku umu ntuthu we Moabu, unotathila pezhugwi kwe Dombo le Pisiga lakakotamila ku tjilambanyika.
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Baiziraela bakatuma batumwa kuna Mambo Sihoni we Baamori kunon'dwa beti,
- English22
“Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king’s highway until we have passed through your territory.”
African Kalanga“Tokumbila palama shango yenyu. Ngono atitowobhuda mu zila, kene kuli kupalama minda ye mizhambi, nenguba kuli kung'wa vula mu matshime enyu. Towotobela zila inopalama shango ya mambo. Atitowobhudila ku luji, kene ku lumeshwe, kudzina tinobhuda mu ntuthu wenyu.”
- English23
But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his entire army and marched out into the desert against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel.
African KalangaKoga Sihoni kasitongo dumila Iziraela kupalama shango iye. Kakubunganya babhayani babe bose, kabhudila ku tjilambanyika, kanoswika ku Jahazi, kabhayana ne Iziraela.
- English24
Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified.
African KalangaKoga Iziraela ikababulaya nge thumo, ikatola shango yabo kudwa mu Arinoni kunoti ku Jabhoki, bukule gunonoti ku Baamoni ngoti Jazeri wakabe uli n'gathu we Baamoni wakabe wakasima.
- English25
Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements.
African KalangaIziraela ikatapa mizi mikulu yose, ikagala mu mizi mikulu yose ye Baamori, kose ne mu Heshibhoni ne mizana yose yakaipoteleka.
- English26
Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.
African KalangaHeshibhoni wakabe uli iwo nzi nkulu wa Mambo Sihoni we Baamori. Ndiye wakagwa na mambo we kutanga we Moabu kantapila shango iye yose kunoti ku gwizi gwe Arinoni.
- English27
That is why the poets say: “Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt; let Sihon’s city be restored.
African KalangaNdizo ntetembeli eko tetembela eti, “Izhani ku Heshibhoni, nzi nkulu ngaubakiwe, Nzi wa Sihoni ngaupundumale.
- English28
“Fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the citizens of Arnon’s heights.
African KalangaNgoti moto wakapisa udwa mu Heshibhoni, nthuto wakamilika udwa mu nzi nkulu wa Sihoni. Wakalobesa Ari we Moabu, ne matombo e Arinoni, botetshi be misholo ye matombo e Arinoni.
- English29
Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captives to Sihon king of the Amorites.
African KalangaYee mme wee! Wapalala iwe Moabu! Mafa, imwi bathu be Khemoshi! Wakathama bakololo babe batizhi, ne bakololokadzi babe batapiwa ba Sihoni, mambo we Baamori.
- English30
“But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed all the way to Dibon. We have demolished them as far as Nophah, which extends to Medeba.”
African KalangaBakafa ne bana babo kudwa ku Heshibhoni kunoti ku Diboni, moto wakapisa ukadza ukanoti Medeba.”
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Iziraela kabaka mu shango ye Baamori.
- English32
After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there.
African KalangaMushe katuma shodzi kunoshola shango ye Jazeri. Ngono bakatapa mizi yayo, bakatata Baamori bakabe bali ko.
- English33
Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.
African KalangaIpapo Baiziraela bakashanduka nge zila inoyenda ku Bhashani. Ngono Mambo Ogi we Bhashani ne bathu babe bose bakabhuda bakanogwa nabo ku Edireyi.
- English34
The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.”
African KalangaKoga Yahwe bakadwa Mushe bakati, “Usintje, ngoti ndowonlonga mu maboko awo, kose ne bathu babe bose ne shango iye. Unowonthama tjawakathama Sihoni mambo we Baamori wakabe ebusa ku Heshibhoni.”
- English35
So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.
African KalangaBaiziraela bakabulaya Ogi ne bakololo babe, kose ne bathu babe bose, kudzina kunosala kusina nenge limbelimbe ling'ompela lasala. Ngono bakatapa shango iye.
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.