The Atonement Money

¹¹ The Lord spoke to Moses: ¹² “When you take a census^(A) of the Israelites to register them, each of the men must pay a ransom^(B) for his life to the Lord as they are registered. Then no plague^(C) will come on them as they are registered. ¹³ Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel^[a] according to the sanctuary shekel (twenty gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the Lord.^{(D) 14} Each man who is registered, twenty years old or more, must give this contribution to the Lord. ¹⁵ The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less^(E) than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for^[b] your lives. ¹⁶ Take the atonement price^[c] from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for your lives.”^(F)

² “Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their ancestral families^[a] of those twenty years old or more who can serve in Israel’s army.”^(A)