The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
New Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
1 Corinthians 14English
1 Bakorinta 14African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Thamani kuti ludo gube mazwimisilo enyu, muyemule ne malebeswa kube ne zwipo zwe tjimeya, kwazo kwazo tjipo tje kusumikila dama ne bulebesambeli!
- English2
For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
African KalangaNgobe iye unolebeleka ne lulimi gupoga aatolebeleka ne banhu, koga unolebeleka ne Ndzimu, ngobe akuna unon’whisisa. Unoleba masazibgwe e malebeswa ne simba le Meya.
- English3
But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.
African KalangaKoga iye unosumikila dama le bulebesambeli unolebeleka ne banhu kubasimisa ne kubakulumbidza ne kubanyaladza.
- African Kalanga
Iye unolebeleka ne lulimi gupoga unozwisimisa, koga iye unosumikila dama le bulebesambeli unobhatsha gubungano.
- English5
I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
African KalangaNdohaka kuti mose mulebeleke ne ndimi dzipoga; koga tjikulu dzene mungabe ne tjipo tje kusumikila dama le bulebesambeli. Iye unosumikila dama le bulebesambeli nkulu pana unolebeleka ne ndimi dzipoga, kuhhe kwe kungabe kuna mmwe unotjenesa, kuti gubungano libhatshike.
- English6
Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?
African KalangaNdizo wali, zwikamu, ha ndihha kumuli ndilebeleka ne ndimi dzipoga, apa ndingamubuzila tjimwe kuhhe kwe ndingamuhhisila zumbunulo imwe kene luzibo kene dama le bulebesambeli kene tjidiyo?
- English7
Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?
African KalangaNe zwilidzo zwisingatjile, zwinonga nyele kene dende, ha zwithama nlidzo usingawhisisike, nhu ungaziba tjini kuti kolidziwani?
- African Kalanga
Ne lunyanga ha gusingathame nlidzo unowhisisika ndiani ungazwilulwamisila ngwa kene?
- English9
So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air.
African KalangaNdizo kwakajalobo ne kwenyu, ha imwi ne ndimi dzipoga muleba ndebo isingawhisisike, mmwe nhu ungaziba tjini tjinolebgwa? Ngobe molebelekela mu mhepo koga.
- English10
Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.
African KalangaKuna ndimi dzili njinji dzakasiyana mu hango, ngono akuna gumwe gwadzo gusina tjagunobva.
- English11
If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.
African KalangaKoga andisingazibe tjeneso ye lulimi, ndowobe ntaya ku nlebeleki ne nlebeleki kabe ntaya kundili.
- English12
So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
African KalangaSe imwi makazwimisila kube ne zwipo zwinopiwa ne Meya, makafanila kuti mugwise kuzwihingisa kwazo kubaka gubungano.
- English13
For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.
African KalangaNdizo iye unolebeleka ne ndimi dzipoga ngaatembezelele simba le kutjenesa tjaanoleba.
- African Kalanga
Ngobe ha nditembezela ne ndimi dzipoga, meya yangu inotembezela, koga nkumbulo wangu auna tjinoubuyila.
- English15
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
African KalangaNdingahingani ngono? Ndowotembezela ne Meya yangu atembezela nenge nkumbulo wangubo, ndowomba ne meya amba nenge nkumbulo.
- English16
If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
African KalangaHa ukudza Ndzimu mu meya iyo, nhu upakati kwa ibabo basingawhisise ungati “Ngakujalo*” tjini mu kuboka kuko ngono asingazibe tjaunoleba?
- African Kalanga
Ungabe uboka Ndzimu ne buhhalo, koga mmwe nhu aatobhatshika.
- African Kalanga
Ndobokela Ndzimu kuti ndolebeleka ne ndimi kumupinda mose.
- English19
But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
African KalangaKoga mu gubungano bukulu ndingaleba matama mahanu anowhika kudiya bamwe pana kuti ndilebe matama ali zwiwulu zwili gumi mu lulimi gupoga.
- English20
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.
African KalangaMakamu, letjani kukumbula se bana; ibeni ngawana mu bubi, koga mu kukumbula ibeni bawhola.
- English21
In the Law it is written: “Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me,” says the Lord.
African KalangaKwakakwagwa mu nlayo kuyi, “Ne banhu be ndimi dzipoga nenge milomo ye bataya ndowolebeleka ne banhu ibaba ngono na ipapo abatowondiwhilila,” kojalo He.
- English22
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
African KalangaNdizo wali ndimi dzipoga tjilakidzo kuna basingagalemoyo kusi kuna banogalamoyo, koga bulebesambeli tjilakidzo kuna banogalamoyo kusi basingagalemoyo.
- English23
So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
African KalangaNdizo ha gubungano lose lakakubungana, ngono mmwe ne mmwe elebeleka ne ndimi dzipoga, kube kuti bamwe basingawhisise kene basingagalemoyo bebe bengina, apa abangati mopenga kene?
- English24
But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all,
African KalangaKoga bose ha besumikila dama le bulebesambeli, ngono usingagalemoyo kene nhu koga ebe engina, ungatjemegwa ne dama le Ndzimu linobva mu gubungano lose kuti ntjinyi ngono mawhi wose aanowha anowonsumikilisa,
- English25
and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
African Kalangangono zwakasumbikala zwe moyo uwe zowodusigwa patjena. Ndizo unowowila pasi kanamata Ndzimu, kaleba eti, “Ndzimu upakati kwenyu dumbu.”
- English26
What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
African KalangaTowotini ngono makamu? Ha mukubungana kunamata Ndzimu, mmwe ana lumbo kumba, mmwe ana tjidiyo kudiya, mmwe ana tjaazumbunuligwa ne Ndzimu kutjileba, mmwe ana tjaangaleba ne ndimi dzipoga, mmwe etjenesa tjalebgwa. Izwezwi zose ngazwithamwe kusimisa gubungano.
- English27
If anyone speaks in a tongue, two–or at the most three–should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.
African KalangaHa bamwe belebeleka ne ndimi dzipoga, ngababe babili koga kene batatu, ngono basipinde ipapo. Balebeleke ngotobedzana; ngono mmwe upoga ngaatjenese tjinolebgwa.
- English28
If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
African KalangaKoga ha kusina ungatjenesa, mmwe ne mmwe wabo ngaanyalale mu gubungano, ngono azwilebese iye koga, kakale alebese ne Ndzimu.
- African Kalanga
Balebesambeli babili kene batatu ngabalebeleke, ngono bamwe ngababone bahakisise nekwe mawhi alebgwa.
- African Kalanga
Koga ha Ndzimu ungazumbunulila tjimwe mmwe ugele pasi, iwhoyo unolebeleka ngaanyalale.
- African Kalanga
Ngobe imwi mose mungasumikila dama le bulebesambeli, nng'ompela ne nng'ompela, kuti mmwe ne mmwe azwidiye, kakale mukulumbidzike.
- African Kalanga
Meya ye balebesambeli inolaugwa ne balebesambeli,
- African Kalanga
ngobe Ndzimu ate uli Ndzimu we phiphiti koga nde we mbakiso. Oku ndiko sekwa kunohingikala mu makubungano e bayengemali,
- English34
As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says.
African Kalangabakadzi bakafanila nyalala mu makubungano. Ngobe abatobvumigwa kulebeleka, koga ngabasitungamile mu zwinhu zose, se kunoleba nlayo.
- English35
If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
African KalangaHa behaka kubhuzwa nekwe tjimwe, ngababhuzwe balume babo kanyi. Ngobe kobhatisa honi kuti nkadzi alebeleke mu gubungano.
- African Kalanga
Ini! Dama le Ndzimu lakatangisa ndimwi kene? Kene ndimwi moga balakaswika kubali?
- English37
If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.
African KalangaHa mmwe ekumbula kuti nlebesambeli, kene ana tjipo tje tjimeya, wakafanilo amutjila kuti tjandinomukwalila i ndayo ya He.
- African Kalanga
Koga ha ehayila hanya ikoku na iye unowohayigwa hanya.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo wali, zwikamu zwangu, muzwimisile kusumikila dama le bulebesambeli koga musidzibise banhu kulebeleka ne ndimi dzipoga.
- African Kalanga
Koga tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakafanilo thamiwa zubuyanana ne ndongoloso.
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.