¹² “When you take a census^(A) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom^(B) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague^(C) will come on them when you number them.

¹³ Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,^[a] according to the sanctuary shekel,^(A) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord.

²⁶ one beka per person,^(A) that is, half a shekel,^[a] according to the sanctuary shekel,^(B) from everyone who had crossed over to those counted, twenty years old or more,^(C) a total of 603,550 men.^(D)