Let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and ministering Levites: This prohibition may be expressed as “Do not let anyone enter…” (New Revised Standard Version) or “No one must enter…” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). The priests and ministering Levites may be rendered “the priests and the Levites who are on duty” (Good News Translation) or “… the Levites on service” (Moffatt). Since the Levites assisted the priests, some may prefer to translate “the priests and the Levites who are assisting them.” An alternative model for this whole clause is “Only the priests and the Levites who are on duty may enter the Temple, no one else.”

They may enter, for they are holy: The idea of holiness here is not a matter of moral purity, but ritual purity. The priests and Levites were set apart to serve in the Temple (see the comments on 1 Chr 23.13). NET Bible says “They may enter because they are ceremonially pure.”

But all the people shall keep the charge of the LORD: But correctly renders the common Hebrew conjunction here for the contrast between the religious workers and the lay people. All the people may be rendered “all the other people” or “all the ordinary people.” Shall keep the charge of the LORD is literally “must guard/keep the assignment of the LORD.” The Hebrew may be understood to mean that the lay people “must observe the LORD’s command not to enter the Temple” (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, New International Version alternative translation) or that they “must guard what the LORD has assigned to them” (so New International Version). The first interpretation is more likely correct.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .