The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
New Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
John 13English
Johani 13African Kalanga
- English1
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
African KalangaKwakabe kuwomuka kuli Nzano we Pinda Pehhugwi. Jesu wakabe eziba kuti gwabe lubaka gwekuti asiye hango ino ayende kuna Tate. Wakabe eda bose bakabe bali babe mu hango ino, kabada kunoti ne ku bupelo.
- English2
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.
African KalangaJesu ne badiyiwa babe bakati bali pa tjilayilo, Nvanganyi kabe alonga kale meya muna Judasi Isikariyoti nkololo wa Simoni dzekuti awonge Jesu.
- English3
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
African KalangaJesu se akabe eziba kuti Tate bakalonga zwinhu zose mu maboko awe nenge kuti wakabva ku Ndzimu kakale unowobgwilila ku Ndzimu,
- English4
so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
African Kalangakamilika pa zodliwa, kaambula hazu iye, katola jila kazwipomba ndilo mu nhunji.
- English5
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
African KalangaHule, kadila vula mu ndilo katangisa ngudza badiyiwa babe makumbo ebabuhika ne jila laakabe akazwipombedza ndilo.
- African Kalanga
Kati ehha pana Simoni Pita, Pita kati kuunli, “He apa mondingudza makumbo kene?”
- African Kalanga
Jesu kan'dabila eti, “Autoziba tjandinothama, koga unowowhisisa hule.”
- English8
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
African KalangaPita kati, “Aa, amungandingudze makumbo kene kukabe kwakatini.” Jesu kambva kati, “Ha ndisakungudza auna gobe nami.”
- African Kalanga
Ngono Simoni Pita kan’handula eti, “He, musindingudze makumbo woga, mundingudze kose maboko ne n’holo!”
- English10
Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”
African KalangaJesu kan’handula kati, “Nhu wangula mbili akutohakika kuti angudziwe kakale kuhhe kwe makumbo awe koga, ngobe mbili uwe mbuyanana. Imwi mu babuyanana koga kusi mmwe ne mmwe wenyu.”
- African Kalanga
Wakabe eleba ejalo, ngobe eziba unowon'wonga, ndizo kati, “Ha muzotjenepala mose.”
- English12
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.
African KalangaWakati apedza bangudza makumbo, kaambala hazu iye kabgwilila ku bugalo gugwe. Kababhuzwa kati, “Apa moziba tjandakamuyitila kene?
- African Kalanga
Mondidana ‘N'diyi’ mukandidana ‘He’ mulebesa, ngobe nditjo tjandili itjo.
- English14
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
African KalangaNgwenu ha imi, He wenyu kakale ndili N'diyi wenyu ndamungudza makumbo, namwibo makafanila ngudzana makumbo.
- African Kalanga
Ndamulakidza, kuti ndizo namwibo muyite sekwa ndamuyitila.
- English16
I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
African KalangaNdolebesa tjose ndoti kumuli, nlanda ate ali nkulu pana tetshi uwe ne ntumwa ate ali nkulu pana wakantuma.
- African Kalanga
Ha muziba zwinhu izwezwi kakale muzwihinga, muna mhahhambuya.
- English18
“I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’
African Kalanga“Anditobva imwi mose, ngobe ndoziba bandakahalula. Kwakafanila kuti matama e Whalo dze Ndzimu asiwile pasi, anoti, ‘Iye wandinodla naye wandihandukila.’
- English19
“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.
African KalangaNdomubudza ngwenu, kusanhu kukahingikala, kuti ha kuhingikala, mugalemoyo kuti ‘Ndi iye wandili iye.’
- English20
I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
African KalangaNdolebesa tjose ndoti kumuli, iye unoamutjila wandatuma, unoamutjila imi, na iye unondiamutjila unoamutjila wakandituma.”
- English21
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”
African KalangaKukati Jesu aleba ikoku, kadziyidzika mu meya, ndizo kati, “Ndolebesa tjose ndoti kumuli, mmwe wenyu unowondiwonga.”
- African Kalanga
Badiyiwa babe bakalingana basingazibe kuti unobva upi mubali.
- African Kalanga
Mmwe wabo, iye wakabe ediwa ndi Jesu, wakabe ali gele pedlo naye.
- African Kalanga
Simoni Pita kang'wanga kambva kati, “Bhuzwa Jesu kuti unobva ani.”
- African Kalanga
Kabhuzwa Jesu akanayila pa fuba tjitje kati, “He, ndiani?”
- English26
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.
African KalangaJesu kan’handula eti, “Ndi iwoyu wandinowopa bhemu le tjiwunga ndaliseba mu sopo.” Ndizo wakati aseba bhemu le tjiwunga kalipa Judasi nkololo wa Simoni Isikariyoti.
- English27
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him,
African KalangaKukati Judasi atola bhemu le tjiwunga, Satani kangina muunli. Jesu kati kuunli, “Thama ulibilidza tjaunohaka thama.”
- African Kalanga
Bose bakabe bali ipapo bakasiwhisise kuti ini Jesu ebva Judasi ejalo.
- English29
Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor.
African KalangaNgobe Judasi wakabe akabhata whomo ye mari, bamwe bakaalakana, kuti Jesu unombva eti, “Katenge zwatinowohaka ku nzano,” kene kuti ape bahayi tjimwe.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Judasi kati aamutjila bhemu le tjiwunga, kabhuda tjinyolotjo; ngono kwakabe kuli busiku.
- English31
When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him.
African KalangaKati abhuda, Jesu kati, “Ngwenu Nkololo we Nhu wakudziwa ne Ndzimu wakudziwa nekwe Nkololo uwe.
- English32
If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
African KalangaNdzimu ha wakudziwa ne kukwe, Ndzimu unowonkudza muunli ngono unowonkudza tjinyolotjo.
- English33
“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
African KalangaBana bangu, anditowobe namwi lubaka gulefu. Mowondihaka, koga sekwa ndakabudza Bajuta ndomubudzabo ngwenu nditi, ‘Kwandinoyenda, amungayendeko.’
- English34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
African KalangaNdomupa nlayo ntshwa nditi, ‘Mudane. Koga sekwa ndakamuda, namwibo mudane.’
- African Kalanga
Banhu bose banowoziba kuti mu badiyiwa bangu ha mudana.”
- English36
Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”
African KalangaSimoni Pita kambhuzwa kati, “He, monda poni?” Jesu kan'dabila eti, “Kwandinoyenda aunganditobele ngwenu; koga hule kwe lubaka unowonditobela.”
- African Kalanga
Pita kambhuzwa kakale kati, “He, ini ndisingake amotobela ngwenu? Ndakazwimisila kumufila.”
- English38
Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
African KalangaIpapo Jesu kan’handula eti, “Apa unowondifila ntja kene? Gukurume lowoti lisanhu likalila, unowobe wandizwilandula katatu!”
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.