¹⁶ They will be given completely to me from the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel]; I have taken them for myself instead of ·the firstborn of every Israelite woman [^Lthose who open the womb, the firstborn of all the sons/^Tchildren of Israel]. ¹⁷ All the firstborn ·in Israel—people or animals[—^Lamong the sons/^Tchildren of Israel and among people and among animals] are mine. When I ·killed [^Lstruck] all the firstborn in Egypt [Ex. 12:12–13], I ·set the firstborn in Israel aside for myself [^Lconsecrated/sanctified them to me; Ex. 13:2, 11–16; 22:29–30; 34:19–20]. ¹⁸ But I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn ·in Israel [^Lamong the sons/^Tchildren of Israel].