The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
New Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
John 19English
Johani 19African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Ipapo Pilato katola Jesu kati ngaalobgwe.
- English2
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe
African KalangaBabhayani bakaluka tjiala tje mhiwa bakawumbadza itjo mu n’holo, bakawumbadza hazu ye mbala n’haba wakabondelela;
- English3
and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face.
African Kalangangono bakayenda kuunli bakati, “Mabuyani, He nkulu we Bajuta,” bakampkhwaula mu luhaya.
- English4
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”
African KalangaPilato kabhudila kuhhe kakale kati ku Bajuta, “Bonani, ndon'dusila kuhhe kumuli kumuzibisa kuti imi anditobona tjimwe tjandingantilika nlandu nditjo.”
- English5
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
African KalangaNdizo Jesu kabhudila kuhhe, akaambala tjiala tje mhiwa ne hazu ye buhaba gwakabondelela. Pilato kati kubali, “Woyu nhu wenyu!”
- English6
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
African KalangaBapirisiti bakulu ne balindi be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu bakati bembona, bakamimila beti, “Mumbambule! Mumbambule!” Pilato kati kubali, “Muntole imwi mumbambule. Imi anditobona tjimwe tjandingantilika nlandu nditjo.”
- English7
The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
African KalangaMbunga we Bajuta ukan’handula uti, “Iswi tina nlayo unoti wakafanila kuti afe, ngobe kati Nkololo we Ndzimu.”
- African Kalanga
Pilato kati ewha ikoku kahla kwazo,
- English9
and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.
African Kalangakabgwilila mu ng'umba ye nlauli kabhuzwa Jesu kati, “Unobva poni?” Koga Jesu kasindabile.
- English10
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
African KalangaPilato kati kuunli, “Apa autoda lebeleka nami kene? Autoziba kuti ndina simba le kukusunugula kose ne simba le kukubambula kene?”
- English11
Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
African KalangaJesu kahandula eti, “Iwe ungabe usina simba mundili, apa wabe usakalipiwa libva kudzimu. Ndizo iye wandihhisa kukuli una tjibi tjikulu kupindisa.”
- English12
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
African KalangaPilato kati ewha ikoku, kagwisa wana zila yaangasunungula Jesu ndiyo. Koga Bajuta bakamimila beti “Ha unsungunula, unowobe usi nzwalani wa Kaisara! Mmwe ne mmwe unozwithama he nkulu, unonyanyayidza Kaisara!”
- English13
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).
African KalangaPilato kati ewha matama iyawa, kadusila Jesu kuhhe, kagala mu tjigalo tje nsumikilisi mu bugalo gunodang'wa kuyi, “Budzilo gwe Mabgwe.” Mu Tjihebheru goyi “Gabhata.”
- English14
It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
African KalangaKwakabe kuli masikati makulu kululwamisigwa Nzano we Pinda Pehhugwi. Pilato kati ku Bajuta, “Woyu He nkulu wenyu!”
- English15
But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
African KalangaBakamimila beti, “Kutjena naye, kutjena naye mumbambule!” Pilato kababhuzwa eti, “Apa mohaka kuti ndibambule he nkulu wenyu kene?” Bapirisiti bakulu bakan'dabila beti, “Atina mmwe he nkulu kuhhe kwa Kaisara!”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Pilato kabapa Jesu kuti anobambugwa. Bakatola Jesu bakayenda naye.
- English17
So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
African KalangaWakabhuda akasenga tjileyano tjitje, kayenda kanoti ku bugalo gunoyi “Pepe tje N’holo.” Mu Tjihebheru godang'wa “Gologota.”
- English18
Here they crucified him, and with him two others– one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
African KalangaNdiko kwabakanombambulilako ne bamwe balume babili, mmwe ku luboko gwe ludli, mmwe kuna gwe lumewhe, Jesu iye ali pakati kwabo.
- English19
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
African KalangaPilato kakwala tjizibiso katjinamatidza mu tjileyano tja Jesu. Matama atjo akabe ebalika sa oku, “JESU WE NAZARETA, HE NKULU WE BAJUTA.”
- English20
Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.
African KalangaBanhu banjinji bakatjibala, ngobe panhu ipapo pakabambuligwa Jesu pakabe pali pedlo ne nzi nkulu. Tjizibiso itjetji tjakabe tjakakwagwa ne lulimi gwe Tjihebheru ne gwe Tjilatini ne gwe Tjigiriki.
- English21
The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
African KalangaBapirisiti bakulu ne Bajuta bakati kuna Pilato, “Usikwale uti ‘HE NKULU WE BAJUTA’ kwala uti, ‘Iwoyu nlume kati, Imi ndi he nkulu we Bajuta.’ ”
- African Kalanga
Pilato wakabadabila eti, “Tjandakwala ndakwala.”
- English23
When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
African KalangaBabhayani bakati babambula Jesu, bakatola zwiambalo zwizwe bakazwikobana ne bunna gwabo, mmwe ne mmwe wabo katola tjing'ompela. Bakatola ne hempe iye, yakabe ili jila ling'ompela lakalukiwa lisina nthumo.
- English24
“Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, “They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” So this is what the soldiers did.
African KalangaBakalangana beti, “Tisiipalule, ngatikandileni tibone kuti inowobe ya ani.” Ikoku kwakahingikala kuti matama e Whalo dze Ndzimu asiwile pasi anoti, “Bakakobana zwiambalo zwangu hempe yangu bakailobela hakata.” Izwezwi ndizo zwakathamwa ne babhayani.
- English25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
African KalangaMme ba Jesu bakabe bali mile pedlo ne tjileyano tjitje bana mannini babe Mariya, nkadzi wa Kileopasi, na Mariya we Magadala.
- English26
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,”
African KalangaJesu kabona mmeyabe ne n'diyiwa waakabe eda bali mile ipapo, ngono kati kuna mmeyabe, “Nkadzi nkulu, nkololo wenyu whoyo.”
- English27
and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
African KalangaKati ku n'diyiwa iwoyu, “Abo mmeyabo.” Kubvila mu lubaka igogo n'diyiwa iwoyo katola Mariya kanogala naye ku nzi uwe.
- English28
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
African KalangaJesu kaziba kuti ngwenu kose kwawila, koga kuti matama e Whalo dze Ndzimu asiwile pasi kati, “Ndina nyota.”
- English29
A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.
African KalangaKwakabe kuna ndilo ihhele nkumbi unobaba, ngono bakabvubika lungudze muunli, bakagupomba mu luhanga gwe nti unoyi hosapu, bakayisa ku nlomo uwe.
- English30
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
African KalangaJesu kang'wa ngono kalebeleka kati, “Kwapela!” Kakotamisa n’holo uwe ngono meya ikathubukana ne nyama.
- English31
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.
African KalangaBajuta bakakumbila Pilato kuti makumbo e balume babambugwa avung'we ne mibili yabo idelusiwe mu zwileyano. Bakakumbila bejalo, ngobe kwakabe kuli hhuba le kuzwilulwamisa, basingahake kuti mibili iyeyi ibe ili mu zwileyano mu nsi we Sabatha.
- English32
The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.
African KalangaNdizo babhayani bakayenda bakanovuna makumbo e nlume we kutanga kubvapo bakavuna e mmwe wakabe abambugwabo na Jesu.
- English33
But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
African KalangaBakati behha pana Jesu, bakabona kuti wafa kale, ngono bakasivune makumbo awe.
- English34
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
African KalangaMmwe we babhayani, kabhaya Jesu ne thumo mu lubabvu, ngono kukatebuka malopa ne vula.
- English35
The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.
African KalangaNlume wakabona ikoku kuhingikala wakapa butendeki ne kwako, kuti namwibo mugalemoyo. Butendeki gugwe malebeswa, na iye unoziba kuti unoleba malebeswa.
- English36
These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”
African KalangaOku kwakahingikala kuti matama e Whalo dze Ndzimu asiwile pasi, anoti, “Akuna fupa lile linowovung'wa.”
- African Kalanga
Gumwe lukwalo goti, “Banowolinga kuunli iye wabakabhaya.”
- English38
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.
African KalangaHule kwa ikoku, Josefa we Arimateya, kayenda kanokumbila Pilato kuti ampe tjidumbu tja Jesu. Josefa wakabe ali n'diyiwa wa Jesu wakabe asingazwilakidze, ngobe akabe ehla Bajuta. Pilato kambvumila kuti atole tjidumbu tja Jesu, ngono kayenda kanotjitola.
- English39
He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.
African KalangaNikodemo, iye wakatongo yenda kunobona Jesu busiku, kayenda na Josefa akasenga mafuta e motsha unodang'wa kuyi mira unolizana kilogiramu dzili makumi matatu ana nhatu, wakahanganyiwa ne gonde.
- English40
Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.
African KalangaBakatola tjidumbu tja Jesu bakatjipetela ne jila betjihodza mafuta e motsha kuyendidzana ne mpanga we Bajuta we biganya.
- English41
At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid.
African KalangaKwakabe kuna nnda ipapo pakabambuligwa Jesu, ngono muunli kwakabe kuna kumbu tjitshwa tjisakatongo biganyiwa nhu.
- English42
Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
African KalangaSekwa kabe kuwomuka kuli Sabatha, kakale kumbu na itjo tjili pedlo, bakambiganya mutjili.
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.
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