The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
New Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
John 9English
Johani 9African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Jesu kati atjayenda, kabona nlume wakazwagwa ali bhofu.
- English2
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
African KalangaBadiyiwa babe bakambhuzwa beti, “N'diyi, i jinyo laani lakathama kuti nlume iwoyu azwagwe ali bhofu? Apa i jinyo lile kene le bazwadzi babe?”
- English3
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
African KalangaJesu kabahandula eti, “Akuna wabo wakatjinya, nlume iwoyu kene bazwadzi babe, koga kwakahingikala kuti simba le Ndzimu libong'we lihinga mu podziwa kukwe.
- English4
As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
African KalangaHa kutji masikati, takafanila hinga n’hingo we wakandituma, busiku gwaswika gusina ungahinga.
- African Kalanga
Ha imi nditji yapo mu hango, ndimi tjedza tje hango.”
- English6
Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
African KalangaKati alebeleka ajalo, kapfila mate pasi kavanga dope ndiwo kalibhoma mu meho e nlume iwoyo,
- English7
“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
African Kalangakambva kati, “Yenda unongula mu dziba le Siloame.” Zina ileli lobva “Tumwa” kene “Tumigwa.” Ndizo nlume iwoyo kayenda, kanongula, ngono kabuya ebona.
- English8
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”
African KalangaBakabakidzana naye ne banhu bakabe bambona kutanga etjila nokumbila bakabhuzwana beti, “Apa ate ali iye nlume iwoya unosobe ali gele ekumbila kene?”
- English9
Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
African KalangaBamwe bakati, “Ndiye.” Koga bamwe bakati, “Aa, ate iye; unofanana koga naye.” Koga nlume iwoyu ne kukwe kababva kati, “Ndimi.”
- African Kalanga
Bakambhuzwa beti, “Ngono ini tjakupofunula?”
- English11
He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
African KalangaKadabila eti, “Nlume unoyi Jesu wavanga dope, kalibhoma mu meho angu, kandibva kati ndiyende ndinongula ku Siloame. Ngono ayenda, angula abe ndibona.”
- African Kalanga
Bakambhuzwa beti, “Iye uponi?” Kabadabila eti, “Anditoziba kwaayako.”
- African Kalanga
Ipapo bakayisa nlume wakabe abe ali bhofu ku Bafarasi.
- African Kalanga
Ngono kwakabe kuli ne nsi we Sabatha, Jesu paakavanga dope kampofunula.
- English15
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
African KalangaNdizo Bafarasi bakambhuzwabo kuti kwakahingikala tjini kuti abe ebona. Ngono kababva kati, “Wandibhoma dope mu meho, kubva ipapo angula, ngono ngwenu ndobona.”
- English16
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided.
African KalangaBamwe be Bafarasi bakati, “Nlume wathama ikoku aatobva ku Ndzimu, ngobe aatolondolodza nsi we Sabatha.” Koga bamwe bakati, “Apa ntjinyi ungathama zwilakidzo zwakajali kene?” Kukabe ne kuthubukana ne mikumbulo pakati kwabo.
- English17
Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
African KalangaNgono bakabhuzwa nlume iwoyo kakale beti, “Ukati wakupofunula, ngono iwe unotini ne kukwe?” Nlume iwoyo kabadabila eti, “Imi ndoti nlebesambeli.”
- English18
The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.
African KalangaBajuta bakabe basingabvume kuti wakabe ali bhofu ngono ngwenu wobona, bakadzina bakadana bazwadzi babe,
- English19
“Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
African Kalangabakababhuzwa beti, “Apa ndiye nkololo wenyu iwoyu wamunoti wakazwagwa ali bhofu kene? Ngono ngwenu wobona tjini?”
- African Kalanga
Bazwadzi babe bakabadabila beti, “Toziba kuti nkololo wedu iwoyu nenge kuti wakazwagwa ali bhofu,
- English21
But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
African Kalangakoga atitoziba kuti ndiani wampofunula. Bhuzwani iye, wakula, ungazwidabiligwa!”
- English22
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
African KalangaBazwadzi babe bakaleba matama iyawa ne hla Bajuta, ngobe Bajuta bakabe babvumana kale kuti iye unoleba kuti Jesu ndiye Mesiya, unowotatiwa mu ng'umba ye mitembezelo.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo bazwadzi babe bakati, “Wakula, mumbhuzwe.”
- English24
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God, “ they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
African KalangaBakadana nlume iwoyo wakabe ali bhofu gwe bubili bakati kuunli, “Tuna mbeli kwe Ndzimu kuti unoleba malebeswa. Iswi toziba kuti nlume iwoyu wakupofunula ntjinyi.”
- English25
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
African KalangaNlume iwoyo kahandula eti, “Kuti ntjinyi kene ate ali ntjinyi anditoziba, tjing'ompela tjandinoziba whuti, ndakabe ndili bhofu, koga ngwenu ndobona.”
- African Kalanga
Bakambhuzwa beti, “Wakuthamani? Wakupofunula tjini?”
- English27
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
African KalangaKabahandula eti, “Ndamubudza kale, koga mukasiwhilile. Ini muhaka kuti ndipamhe, mohaka kube badiyiwa babebo kene?”
- English28
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!
African KalangaIpapo bakantuka beti, “Ndiwe n'diyiwa uwe! Iswi ti badiyiwa ba Mushe!
- English29
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
African KalangaToziba kuti Ndzimu wakalebeleka na Mushe, koga ha ali iwoyu nlume, atitoziba nenge kwaanobva!”
- English30
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
African KalangaKabadabila eti, “Ikoku kotjenamisa kwazo! Ngobe amutoziba kwaanobva, koga wandipofunula!
- English31
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
African KalangaToziba kuti Ndzimu autowhilila batjinyi, unowhilila banounamata behinga da kwawo.
- African Kalanga
Kubva mu kutangisa kwe hango akuna wakatongo wha kuyi nhu wapofunula nhu wakazwagwa ali bhofu.
- African Kalanga
Iwoyu nlume ha abe asingabve ku Ndzimu, unobe asingapundule tjimwe.”
- English34
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
African KalangaBakan'dabila beti, “Apa iwe wakazwaligwa mu tjibi ukabuya ukakulila mutjili, unogwisa kudiya iswi kene?” Ngono bakantata mu ng'umba ye mitembezelo.
- English35
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
African KalangaJesu kawha kuti batata nlume iwoyo, ngono kati an'wana kambhuzwa kati, “Apa unogalamoyo mu Nkololo we nhu kene?”
- African Kalanga
Nlume kan'dabila eti, “Tate bangu, mundibudze kuti ndiupi, kuti ndigalemoyo muunli!”
- African Kalanga
Jesu kati kuunli, “Wambona kale, ndiye iwoyu unolebeleka nawe sangwenu.”
- African Kalanga
Nlume iwoyo kati, “He, ndogalamoyo,” kanamata Jesu.
- English39
Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
African KalangaJesu kati, “Ndakahha mu hango ino kuwosumikilisa, kuti ndizo mapofu abone, banobona bapofupale.”
- African Kalanga
Bamwe Bafarasi bakabe bali pedlo naye bakawha matama iyawa ngono bakambhuzwa beti, “Ukatini? Apa naswibo ti mapofu kene?”
- English41
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
African KalangaJesu kabadabila eti, “Ha mabe muli mapofu, mobe musina nlandu, koga se muti mobona, kobva kuti mutjina nlandu.”
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.