1 Chronicles 15:2
New International Version
Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD 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.”

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.

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.”

King James Bible
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.

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 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.”

NASB 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.”

NASB 1977
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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

Holman 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.”

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Then David was telling the Levites to pick up the Ark of LORD JEHOVAH and the articles of the Tabernacle, because LORD JEHOVAH chose the Levites to serve and to carry the ark of LORD JEHOVAH and for his service for eternity.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
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.

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."

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.

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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then David insisted that only the Levites carry God's ark because the LORD had chosen them to carry his ark and to serve him forever.

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."

International Standard Version
Then David ordered that the Ark of God was to be carried by no one except the descendants of Levi, because the LORD had chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to serve him forever.

JPS Tanakh 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.'

Literal Standard Version
Then David said, “None [are] to carry the Ark of God, except the Levites, for YHWH has fixed on them to carry the Ark of God and to serve Him for all time.”

Majority 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.”

New American Bible
At that time he said, “No one may carry the ark of God except the Levites, for the LORD chose them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister to him forever.”

NET Bible
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.

New Revised Standard Version
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.

New Heart English Bible
Then David said, "No one ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites. For the LORD 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.

World English Bible
Then David said, “No one ought to carry God’s ark but the Levites. For Yahweh has chosen them to carry God’s ark, and to minister to him forever.”

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.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Preparations to Move the Ark
1David constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2Then 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.” 3And David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.…

Cross References
Numbers 4:15
When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy objects, or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the Tent of Meeting.

Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day.

2 Samuel 6:13
When those carrying the ark of the LORD had advanced six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.


Treasury of Scripture

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 for ever.

them hath

Numbers 4:2-15,19,20
Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, …

Numbers 7:9
But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.

Deuteronomy 10:8
At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.

to minister

Numbers 8:13,14,24-26
And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD…

Numbers 18:1-8
And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood…

Isaiah 66:21
And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.

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Age Ark Carry Chose Chosen David Except Forever Levites Marked Minister Moved Ought Serve Work
1 Chronicles 15
1. David having prepared a place for the ark,
15. the priests and Levites bring it from Obed-Edom
25. He performs the solemnity thereof with great joy
29. Michal despises him














(2) Then.--This word is here a real note of time. It seems to denote the end of the three months' interval mentioned in 1Chronicles 13:14.

None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites.--See Numbers 4:5-15, where the Kohathite Levites are appointed to carry the Ark and other sacred objects; and the more definite Deuteronomy 10:8 : "At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day." David's enunciation of the law is a tacit acknowledgment that on the former occasion (1Chronicles 13:7-10) it had not been observed. That the Ark was now duly carried by bearers is expressly stated in the older account (2Samuel 6:13), though their being Levites is not noticed. . . .

Verse 2. - This verse together with vers. 12-15 show that the severe lesson of the destruction of Uzzah had been laid to heart, and had made David supremely anxious to take better counsel of the Law. Uzzah, though possibly the son of a Levite, more probably of a Hivite (Joshua 9:7, 17), was not a priest, nor is there any sufficient evidence that he was a Levite; and most distinct was the order of the Law (Numbers 1:51-53; Numbers 3:29-32; 4:15420), that "when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death." So the sons of Kohath are to come to bear the sanctuary with all its sacred vessels, "but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die." Many things were allowed to be carried on waggons under the charge of the Gershonites and Merarites, but the strict contents of the sanctuary were to be borne in a specified manner by the Kohathites.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then
אָ֚ז (’āz)
Adverb
Strong's 227: At that time, place, therefore

David
דָּוִ֔יד (dā·wîḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

said,
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“No
לֹ֤א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

one but
כִּ֖י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the Levites
הַלְוִיִּ֑ם (hal·wî·yim)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

may carry
לָשֵׂאת֙ (lā·śêṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

the ark
אֲר֣וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of God,
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

because
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the LORD
יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

has chosen
בָּחַ֣ר (bā·ḥar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 977: To try, select

them to carry
לָשֵׂ֞את (lā·śêṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

the ark
אֲר֧וֹן (’ă·rō·wn)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 727: A chest, ark

of the LORD
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and to minister
וּֽלְשָׁרְת֖וֹ (ū·lə·šā·rə·ṯōw)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 8334: To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute to

before Him
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

forever.”
עוֹלָֽם׃ (‘ō·w·lām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 15:2 Then David said None ought to carry (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
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