The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
New Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Luke 15English
Luka 15African Kalanga
- African Kalanga
Bakhethisi ne batjinyi bakabe besedzela bose paanli kun’whilila.
- English2
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
African KalangaKoga Bafarisi ne badiyi be nlayo bakang'ong'ola beti, “Nlume iwoyu unoamutjila batjinyi, kakale kadla nabo.”
- African Kalanga
Ndizo Jesu kababudza tjifaniso, eti:
- English4
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
African Kalanga“Ndiupi nlume pakati kwenyu, ungati ana mwhizi dzili zana ling'ompela (100) ebe elahikigwa ne ing'ompela yadzo, kasisiye dzili makumi ali hhanalume ana dzili hhanalume (99) mu hango, kanohaka mwhizi iyeyo yalahika kudzina eibona kene?
- African Kalanga
Ngono ha aibona, unoipika ne kuhanha.
- English6
and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
African KalangaHa eswika kanyi, unodana bazwalani babe ne babakidzani naye, kabakubunganya kati kubali, ‘Hanhani nami, ngobe mwhizana yangu yakabe yamila ndaibona.’
- English7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
African KalangaKoga saikoko ndomubudza nditi, kowobe ne hanha kudzimu, ha ntjinyi ng'ompela ehandukila matjinyo awe, kupinda balulwami bali makumi ali hhanalume ana bali hhanalume (99) kusingahakike kuti bahanduke.”
- English8
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
African Kalanga“Kene ndiupi nkadzi una maloso e siliva e mahhuba ali gumi, unoti alahikigwa ne limwe lawo kasibhatidze luvone, katshwayila ng'umba, kalihaka ne njele kudzina elibona kene?
- English9
And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
African KalangaNgono ha alibona unodana bazwalani babe be tjikadzi ne babakidzani naye, ebakubunganya eti kubali, ‘Hanhani nami, ngobe loso langu le siliva lakabe lamila ndalibona.’
- English10
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
African KalangaKoga sa ikoko, ndomubudza nditi, batumwa be Ndzimu banohanha ha ntjinyi nng'ompela ehandukila matjinyo awe.”
- African Kalanga
Jesu kapamha kati, “Kwakabe kuna mmwe nlume ana bakololo bali babili.
- English12
The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
African KalangaNtjetjana kati kuna tate babe, ‘Tate, mundipeni langu gobe mu thundu yenyu lakalingisana nami.’ Ndizo tate babo bakabakobanya thundu yabo.
- English13
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
African KalangaHule kwe mahhuba mahomanana, nkololo ntjetjana kakubunganya thundu iye yose katola gwendo, kayenda ku hango ikule kule, ngono ikoko kazanisa fumwa iye mu butjilo gusingahanhise.
- English14
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
African KalangaNdizo kati azanisa kose kwaakabe anako, kukabe ne bhamba gulu mu hango iyeyo, katangisa dziyila.
- English15
So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
African KalangaNgono wakamilika kazwiyisa ku mmwe nlume we hango iyeyo, wakantumila ku nnda uwe kunopa ngulube dzidze zodliwa.
- English16
He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
African KalangaKayemula dla zodliwa zwinodliwa ne ngulube, koga akuna wakampa tjimwe.
- English17
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
African KalangaKoga kati ekumbula kati, ‘Bangana balanda ba tate bangu banodla zodliwa zwikasala, koga imi pano ndofa ne hhala!
- English18
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
African KalangaNdowomilika ayenda kuna tate bangu, ngono ati kubali, Tate, ndakatjinyila Ndzimu kudzimu kose namwi.
- African Kalanga
Andizotjakafanila dang'wa nkololo wenyu mundibhate se mmwe we bahingi benyu.’
- English20
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
African KalangaNdizo kamilika kayenda kuna tate babe. “Koga kukati atji nhambo, tate babe bakambona, ngono bakan’whila ngoni kwazo. Bakatihhilila nkololo wabo, bakan'gumbatila bakamputa.
- English21
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
African KalangaNkololo kati kuna tate babe, ‘Tate, ndakatjinyila kudzimu kose namwi. Andizotjakafanila dang'wa nkololo wenyu.’
- English22
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
African KalangaKoga tate babe bakati ku bahingi babo ‘Libilidzani! Hhisani tjiambalo tjakanaka kupinda zose muwumbadze itjo. Muwumbadze ring'i ne khwebana.
- African Kalanga
Hhisani gondolo lakakola mulibhaye. Ngatidleni tihanhe.
- English24
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
African KalangaNgobe nkololo wangu iwoyu, wakabe afa koga unotjila kakale, wakabe amila koga wabong'wa.’ Ndizo bakatangisa nzano.
- English25
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
African Kalanga“Nge tjibaka itjetjo nkololo whola wakabe ali ku minda. Kati ehha pejo ne nzi, kawha kumbiwa kuzang'wa.
- African Kalanga
Ndizo kadana mmwe we balanda kambhuzwa kuti kohingikalani.
- English27
‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
African KalangaNgono nlanda kan'dabila eti ‘Nnung'una uwo wabuya, ngono tate babo mbhayila gondolo lakakola, ngobe wabuya etjila kakale ezwiwha.’
- English28
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
African Kalanga“Nkulu uwe kagwadzamoyo kalamba ngina mu nzi, ndizo tate babe bakabhuda bakanonteta.
- English29
But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
African KalangaKoga kadabila tate babe eti, ‘Lingani! Makole wose iyawa ndakabe ndimuhingila kakale andinhu atongo tjuLuke milayo yenyu. Koga amunhu mukatongo ndipa kene tjili tjibudzana kuti ndithamile bakhwinya bangu zodliwa.
- English30
But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
African KalangaKoga nkololo wenyu iwoyu wakazanisa thundu yenyu ne fukula dzinozwitengesa unoti eswika mu nzi mukambulayila gondolo lakakola!’
- African Kalanga
Tate babe bakadabila beti, ‘Nkololo wangu, iwe unami misi yose, na zose zwandinazo nde zwizo.
- English32
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
African KalangaNdizo zana ne hanha kofanila, ngobe nnung'una uwo iwoyu, wakabe afa koga wotjila kakale, wakabe amila koga wawanika.’”
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.