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.”

那时大卫说：“除了利未人之外，无人可抬神的约柜；因为耶和华拣选他们抬神的约柜，且永远侍奉他。”

那时大卫说：“除了利未人之外，无人可抬上帝的约柜，因为耶和华拣选他们抬上帝的约柜，永远事奉他。”

那时大卫说：“除了利未人之外，无人可抬神的约柜，因为耶和华拣选他们抬神的约柜，永远事奉他。”

大卫说：“除了利未人以外，谁也不可抬上帝的约柜，因为耶和华只拣选他们抬上帝的约柜，永远事奉祂。”

那时大卫说：“神的约柜，除了利未人以外，没有人可以抬，因为耶和华拣选了他们抬神的约柜，并且永远事奉他。”

那時大衛說：「除了利未人之外，無人可擡神的約櫃；因為耶和華揀選他們擡神的約櫃，且永遠事奉他。」

那時大衛說：「除了利未人之外，無人可抬上帝的約櫃，因為耶和華揀選他們抬上帝的約櫃，永遠事奉他。」

那時大衛說：「除了利未人之外，無人可抬神的約櫃，因為耶和華揀選他們抬神的約櫃，永遠事奉他。」

大衛說：「除了利未人以外，誰也不可抬上帝的約櫃，因為耶和華只揀選他們抬上帝的約櫃，永遠事奉祂。」

那時大衛說：“神的約櫃，除了利未人以外，沒有人可以抬，因為耶和華揀選了他們抬神的約櫃，並且永遠事奉他。”

那時大衛說：『上帝的櫃、除了利未人之外、沒有人可以抬；因為永恆主所揀選來抬永恆主的櫃、並永遠伺候他的、乃是他們。』

大衛曰、耶和華既簡利未人舁上帝匱、永久奉事之、他人不可舁也、

大闢曰、耶和華簡利未人、舁上帝匱、供其役事、歷代勿替、自是舁匱、必以利未人。

其時大衛曰、利未人之外、無人可舁天主之匱、因主特選利未人、舁天主之匱、且奉事之、至於永遠、

He said,“ Only Levites can carry the ark of God. That’s because the Lord chose them to carry his ark. He chose them to serve him forever in front of the place where his throne is.”

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.

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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 minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today.

For this is what the Lord says:‘ David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel,nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.’”The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:“ This is what the Lord says:‘ If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time,then my covenant with David my servant— and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me— can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

The Lord said to Aaron,“ You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood.Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law.They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die.They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting— all the work at the tent— and no one else may come near where you are.“ You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again.I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to do the work at the tent of meeting.But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”Then the Lord said to Aaron,“ I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion, your perpetual share.

So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

“ This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting,but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

“ Take a census of the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families.Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work at the tent of meeting.“ This is the work of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting: the care of the most holy things.When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and put it over the ark of the covenant law.Then they are to cover the curtain with a durable leather, spread a cloth of solid blue over that and put the poles in place.“ Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it.They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.“ They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the olive oil used to supply it.Then they are to wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of the durable leather and put it on a carrying frame.“ Over the gold altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with the durable leather and put the poles in place.“ They are to take all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover that with the durable leather and put them on a carrying frame.“ They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over it.Then they are to place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar, including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over it they are to spread a covering of the durable leather and put the poles in place.“ After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

giving orders to the people:“ When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.

Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord.In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry.But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.

So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them,“ Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”

And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord:“ Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.