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Easy-to-Read Version

1 Chronicles 15:2

Then he said, "Only the Levites are permitted to carry God's Holy Box. The Lord chose them to carry it and to serve him forever."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ark;   Levites;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ark of the Covenant;   Levites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Uzzah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Priest, Priesthood;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Chronicles, Books of;   Kirjath-Jearim;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Levites;   Merari;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Chronicles, I;   Priests and Levites;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them has the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever.
King James Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
English Standard Version
Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever.
New Century Version
David said, "Only the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord chose them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever."
New English Translation
Then David said, "Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve before him perpetually."
Amplified Bible
Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God except the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever."
New American Standard Bible
Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God except the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve Him forever."
World English Bible
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them has Yahweh chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Dauid saide, None ought to carie the Arke of God, but the Leuites: for the Lorde hath chosen them to beare the Arke of the Lord, and to minister vnto him for euer.
Legacy Standard Bible
And David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for Yahweh chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever."
Berean Standard Bible
Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever."
Contemporary English Version
He said, "Only Levites will be allowed to carry the chest, because the Lord has chosen them to do that work and to serve him forever."
Complete Jewish Bible
Then David said, "No one but the L'vi'im should carry the ark of God, because Adonai chose them to carry the ark of Adonai and to serve him forever."
Darby Translation
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them has Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to serve him for ever.
George Lamsa Translation
Then David commanded the Levites to carry the ark of the LORD and the instruments of the tabernacle; for the Levites the LORD had chosen to minister and to carry the ark of the LORD, and to look after it for ever.
Good News Translation
Then he said, "Only Levites should carry the Covenant Box, because they are the ones the Lord chose to carry it and to serve him forever."
Lexham English Bible
Then David ordered that none except the Levites should carry the ark of God, for Yahweh had chosen them to carry the ark of Yahweh and to serve him forever.
Literal Translation
Then David said, None should bear the ark of God except the Levites, for Jehovah had chosen them to bear the ark of God, and to serve Him forever.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
At that tyme sayde Dauid: The Arke of God is not to be borne, but onely of ye Leuites: for them hath the LORDE chosen to beare the Arke of the LORDE, and to mynister vnto him for euer.
American Standard Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
Bible in Basic English
Then David said, The ark of God may not be moved by any but the Levites, for they have been marked out by God to take the ark of God, and to do his work for ever.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Dauid saide: The arke of God ought not to be carryed but of the Leuites: For them hath the Lord chosen to beare the arke of the Lorde, and to minister vnto him for euer.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then David said: 'None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of the LORD, and to minister unto Him for ever.'
King James Version (1611)
Then Dauid sayd, None ought to carie the Arke of God, but the Leuites: for them hath the Lord chosen to cary the Arke of God, and to minister vnto him for euer.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then said David, It is not lawful for any to bear the ark of God, but the Levites; for the Lord has chosen them to bear the ark of the Lord, and to minister to him for ever.
English Revised Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne Dauid seide, It is vnleueful, that the arke of God be borun of `ony thing no but of the dekenes, whiche the Lord chees to bere it, and `for to mynystre to hym `til in to with outen ende.
Update Bible Version
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for Yahweh has chosen them to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him forever.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister to him for ever.
New King James Version
Then David said, "No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever."
New Living Translation
Then he commanded, "No one except the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The Lord has chosen them to carry the Ark of the Lord and to serve him forever."
New Life Bible
Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the special box of God. For the Lord chose them to carry the special box of the agreement and to serve Him forever."
New Revised Standard
Then David commanded that no one but the Levites were to carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, said David, None must carry the ark of God, save the Levites, - for, of them, did Yahweh make choice, to bear the ark of Yahweh, and to attend it, unto times age-abiding.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then David said: No one ought to carry the ark of God, but the Levites, whom the Lord hath chosen to carry it, and to minister unto himself for ever.
Revised Standard Version
Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him for ever."
Young's Literal Translation
Then said David, `None [are] to carry the ark of God, except the Levites, for on them hath Jehovah fixed to carry the ark of God, and to serve Him -- unto the age.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then David said, "No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever."

Contextual Overview

1 David built houses for himself in the City of David. Then he built a place to put God's Holy Box. He set up a tent for it. 2 Then he said, "Only the Levites are permitted to carry God's Holy Box. The Lord chose them to carry it and to serve him forever." 3 David told all the Israelites to meet together at Jerusalem to see the Lord 's Holy Box carried to the place he had made for it. 4 He called together these descendants of Aaron and the Levites: 5 There were 120 people from the tribe of Kohath. Uriel was their leader. 6 There were 220 people from the tribe of Merari. Asaiah was their leader. 7 There were 130 people from the tribe of Gershon. Joel was their leader. 8 There were 200 people from the tribe of Elizaphan. Shemaiah was their leader. 9 There were 80 people from the tribe of Hebron. Eliel was their leader. 10 There were 112 people from the tribe of Uzziel. Amminadab was their leader.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

None ought to: etc. Heb. It is not to carry the ark of God, but for the Levites. them hath. Numbers 4:2-15, Numbers 4:19, Numbers 4:20, Numbers 7:9, Deuteronomy 10:8, Deuteronomy 31:9, Joshua 3:3, Joshua 6:6, 2 Chronicles 35:3

to minister: Numbers 8:13, Numbers 8:14, Numbers 8:24-26, Numbers 18:1-8, Isaiah 66:21, Jeremiah 33:17-22

Reciprocal: Numbers 4:15 - after that Numbers 10:21 - the Kohathites Numbers 20:11 - smote 2 Samuel 6:7 - God smote 2 Samuel 6:13 - when they 2 Samuel 15:24 - bearing 1 Kings 8:3 - the priests took up 1 Chronicles 13:2 - the priests 1 Chronicles 13:7 - in a new cart 1 Chronicles 15:13 - for that 2 Chronicles 5:4 - the Levites

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After all these things happened, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. God said, "Abram, don't be afraid. I will defend you and give you a great reward."
Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "Lord God , there is nothing you can give me that will make me happy, because I have no son. My slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die."
Genesis 15:3
Abram said, "You have given me no son, so a slave born in my house will get everything I have."
Genesis 15:4
Then the Lord spoke to Abram and said, "That slave will not be the one to get what you have. You will have a son who will get everything you own."
Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the Lord , and because of this faith the Lord accepted him as one who has done what is right.
Genesis 24:2
Abraham's oldest servant was in charge of everything he owned. Abraham called that servant to him and said, "Put your hand under my leg.
Genesis 24:10
The servant took ten of Abraham's camels and left that place. The servant carried with him many different kinds of beautiful gifts. He went to Mesopotamia, to Nahor's city.
Genesis 25:21
Isaac's wife could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac's prayer, and he allowed Rebekah to become pregnant.
Genesis 39:9
My master has made me almost equal to him in his house. I cannot sleep with his wife! That is wrong! It is a sin against God."
Genesis 43:19
So the brothers went to the servant in charge of Joseph's house.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then David said,.... Either within himself, or to his ministers and courtiers about him:

none ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites; he saw his former mistake in employing those that were not Levites in bringing up the ark from Kirjathjearim, and bringing it in a cart, and not on the shoulders of the Levites, and so miscarried in his attempt, 2 Samuel 6:1 and, perhaps, had since more diligently consulted the law of God about this matter:

for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever; as long as the Levitical dispensation lasted, as appears from Numbers 1:50.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites - Compare marginal references. We can easily understand that David, after the “breach upon Uzza” 1 Chronicles 13:11, had carefully considered all the legal requirements with respect to moving the ark, and was anxious that they should be strictly observed (compare 1 Chronicles 15:13).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Chronicles 15:2. None ought to carry the ark - but the Levites — It was their business; and he should have thought of this sooner, and then the unfortunate breach on Uzza would have been prevented; see 1 Chronicles 15:13.


 
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