The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
New Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
John 11English
Johani 11African Kalanga
- English1
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
African KalangaMu nzi unoyi Bhetani, kanyi kwa Mariya ne nkulu uwe, Mata kwakabe kuna nlume unoyi Lazaro egwala kwazo.
- English2
This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.
African KalangaMariya iwoyo ndiye wakahhodza He nge mafuta anonuwha zwinozipa, kabuhika makumbo a He ne mavudzi awe, ndiye wakabe egwaligwa ne hazwadzi iye Lazaro.
- African Kalanga
Hazwadzi dza Lazaro dzakatumila dama kuna Jesu dziti, “He, nzwalani wenyu wamunoda kwazo unogwala.”
- English4
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
African KalangaJesu kati ewha kuyago, kati, “Igogu bugwele ate gunowombulaya, ikoku kwahingikala kuti ndizo Ndzimu ukudziwe, ndiko kunowoyita kuti Nkololo we Ndzimu akudziwe.”
- African Kalanga
Jesu nenguba akabe eda Mata ne nnung'una uwe ne hazwadzi yabo Lazaro,
- African Kalanga
wakati ewha nekwe bugwele gwa Lazaro kagala mahhuba mabili asanhu kamilika kwaakabe aliko.
- African Kalanga
Hule kabva badiyiwa babe kati, “Ngatibgwilileni ku Judiya.”
- English8
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?”
African KalangaBadiyiwa babe bakambva bakati, “N'diyi, ate ntolo Bajuta begwisa kumukikithidza ne mabgwe, ngono mutjahaka bgwilila kubali kene?”
- English9
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light.
African KalangaJesu kati, “Apa hhuba alina awara dzili gumi lina mbili dze masikati kene? Ndizo, kene ali ani unoyenda kuli masikati aatokunhiwa, ngobe unobona tjedza tje hango iyeyi.
- African Kalanga
Koga ha eyenda busiku unokunhiwa, ngobe aana tjedza.”
- English11
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
African KalangaWakati asinoleba matama iyawa kapamha kati, “Nzwalani wedu Lazaro wayizela, koga ndowoyenda ndinommusa.”
- African Kalanga
Badiyiwa bakan’handula beti, “He, ha ali lele unowomuka.”
- African Kalanga
Jesu wakabe elebeleka nekwe lufu gwa Lazaro, koga ibo bakazwibva beti unobva whope koga.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Jesu kabatjenesela eti, “Lazaro wafa,
- English15
and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
African Kalangakoga ne kwenyu ndoboka kuti abe atjinyika ndisipo, kuti ndizo mugalemoyo. Ngatiyendeni kuunli.”
- English16
Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
African KalangaTomasi unodang'wa Bili kati ku bamwe badiyiwa, “Ngatiyendenibo tinofa naye!”
- African Kalanga
Jesu kati eswika, kawana Lazaro ana mahhuba manna akabiganyiwa.
- African Kalanga
Nzi we Bhetani wakabe uli nhambo ipasi kwe khilomitha nhatu kubva mu Jerusalema.
- African Kalanga
Bajuta banjinji bakabe bahha kuwomila kuna Mata na Mariya nekwe hazwadzi yabo.
- English20
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
African KalangaMata kati ewha kuyi Jesu unohha, kabhuda kunon’hanganidza, koga Mariya kasala mu ng'umba.
- African Kalanga
Mata kaswika kati kuna Jesu, “He, ha makabe muli pano, hazwadzi yangu inobe isakafa!
- African Kalanga
Koga ndoziba kuti nangwenu kose Ndzimu unowomupa tjimwe ne tjimwe tjamunokumbila.”
- African Kalanga
Jesu kambva kati, “Hazwadzi iyo inowomuka.”
- African Kalanga
Mata kan'dabila eti, “Ndoziba kuti unowomuka mu kumusiwa kwe banhu mu nsi we bupelo.”
- English25
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
African KalangaJesu kati kuunli, “Ndimi kumuka ne tjila. Kene ali ani unogalamoyo mundili unowotjila nenguba afa,
- African Kalanga
kene ali ani unotjila ngono egalamoyo mundili aatowofa. Apa unogalamoyo muna ikoku kene?”
- English27
“Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
African KalangaMata kan'dabila eti, “He, ndogalamoyo kuti ndimwi Mesiya, Nkololo we Ndzimu, iye wakabe akalingiligwa hha mu hango.”
- English28
And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.”
African KalangaMata wakati aleba matama iyawa, kabgwilila ku nzi kaswika kadanila nnung'una uwe Mariya ntome, kambva kati, “N'diyi wahha, ngono unokudana.”
- African Kalanga
Mariya kati ewha kuyago, kamilika tjinyolotjo kayenda kuunli.
- English30
Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.
African KalangaJesu wakabe asanhu kaswika mu nzi, koga wakabe atji ikweno kwaakahanganidzigwako ndi Mata.
- English31
When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
African KalangaBanhu bakabe bana Mariya mu ng'umba bennyaladza, bakati bebona emilika elibilidza bakantobela bekumbula kuti unoyenda kunolilila ku kumbu tja Lazaro.
- English32
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
African KalangaMariya kati eswika pana Jesu kawila pa makumbo awe kati, “He, ha makabe muli pano, hazwadzi yangu inobe isakafa!”
- English33
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
African KalangaJesu kati ebona Mariya elila ne banhu bakabe banaye belilabo, kawha zogwadza mu moyo ngono kadziyidzika kwazo.
- African Kalanga
Kababhuzwa kati, “Makambiganya ngayi?” Bakan'dwa bakati, “He ihhani mubone!”
- African Kalanga
Jesu kalila.
- African Kalanga
Ipapo banhu bakati, “Bonani kuti wakabe en'da kungapani!”
- English37
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
African KalangaNgono bamwe babo bakati, “Apa iye wakapofunula bhofu, unobe asakathama kuti nlume iwoyu asife kene?”
- English38
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
African KalangaJesu mu kuwha zogwadza kukulu kayenda ku kumbu tjakabe tjili guwu lakahhaligwa ne hongwe.
- English39
“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
African KalangaKababva kati, “Dusani hongwe iyeyi.” Mata, hazwadzi ye nfi, kan'dabila eti, “Kowobe konuwha zwakayipa He. Una mahhuba manna akabiganyiwa!”
- English40
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
African KalangaJesu kambhuzwa kati, “Apa andizokubva ati unowobona gudzo le Ndzimu ha ugalamoyo kene?”
- English41
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
African KalangaBakadusa hongwe. Jesu kalinga pehhugwi kati, “Tate, ndomuboka ngoti mandiwha.
- English42
I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
African KalangaNdoziba kuti mondiwha misi yose, koga ndoleba ikoku nekwe banhu ibaba bapano, kuti ndizo bagalemoyo kuti ndimwi makandituma.”
- African Kalanga
Kati aleba ikoku, kamilidza whi kadana eti, “Lazaro, bhuda!”
- English44
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
African KalangaLazaro kabhuda, maboko ne makumbo awe, akapombiwa ne jila nenge buso gugwe gwakakwididziwa ne jila. Jesu kababva kati, “Mumpombonole matjila munletje ayende.”
- English45
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
African KalangaKoga ipapo bunji gwe Bajuta bakabe bawomila kuna Mariya bakabona tjakathamiwa ndi Jesu ngono bakagalamoyo muunli.
- African Kalanga
Koga bamwe babo bakayenda ku Bafarasi bakanobabudza tjathamiwa ndi Jesu.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Bafarasi ne Bapirisiti bakulu bakadana n’hangano we Makulukota e Bajuta, bakati, “Towothamani? Bonani zwilakidzo zwinjinji zwinothamiwa ne nlume iwoyu.
- English48
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
African KalangaHa angaletjiwa kayendilambeli sa ikoku, banhu bose banowogalamoyo muunli, ngono batungamili be Baroma bangatinginilila bakakolomola Ng'umba ye Ndzimu bakalobesa nenge tjaba tjedu.”
- English49
Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all!
African KalangaMmwe wabo wakabe edang'wa Kaifasi, wakabe ali iye Ntungamili we Bapirisiti mu gole ilelo kababva kati, “Amutozibisisa tjinohingikala.
- English50
You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
African KalangaApa amutoziba kuti koyita kumuli kuti nhu ali nng'ompela afile tjaba pana kuti kulobe tjaba tjose kene?”
- English51
He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation,
African KalangaWakabe asingazwiyite, ngobe akabe ali iye Ntungamili we Bapirisiti mu gole ilelo wakabe elebesambeli kuti Jesu unowofila tjaba tje Bajuta,
- English52
and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.
African Kalangakusi tjaba itjetjo koga, koga ne kukubunganya bana be Ndzimu bakapalala kuti babe bang'ompela.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo kubva tjose mu hhuba ilelo bakalangana kuti Jesu ungabulawa tjini.
- English54
Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
African KalangaKubva ipapo Jesu wakabe woyenda asi patjena pakati kwe Bajuta, kabhuda kayenda ku bugalo gupedlo ne tjilambanyika, ku nzi wakabe udang'wa kuyi Efuraimu, kagalako ne badiyiwa babe.
- English55
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.
African KalangaNzano we Pinda Pehhugwi wakabe wabe pedlo, ngono banhu banjinji bakayenda ku Jerusalema bebva kuhhe kwe nzi nkulu kunozwitjenesa, nzano usanhu ukaswika.
- English56
They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the Feast at all?”
African KalangaBanhu ibabo bakabe behaka Jesu, ngono bakati bekubungana mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, bakabhuzwana beti, “Moalakana tjini? Unowohha ku nzano kene tjini?”
- English57
But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.
African KalangaNgono Bapirisiti bakulu ne Bafarasi bakabalaya kuti, ha kuna unoziba kwaayako alebe, kuti ndizo banombhata.
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.