¹² “See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb.^(A) The Levites belong to Me,

³⁹ The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron^[a] registered by their clans at the Lord’s command was 22,000.

Redemption of the Firstborn

⁴⁰ The Lord told Moses: “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites^(A) one month old or more, and list their names. ⁴¹ You are to take the Levites for Me—I am Yahweh—in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.” ⁴² So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. ⁴³ The total number of the firstborn males one month old or more listed by name was 22,273.

⁴⁴ The Lord spoke to Moses again: ⁴⁵ “Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to Me; I am Yahweh.^{(B) 46} As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, ⁴⁷ collect five shekels for each person, according to the standard sanctuary shekel—20 gerahs to the shekel.^{(C) 48} Give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess among the Israelites.”

⁴⁹ So Moses collected the redemption money from those in excess of the ones redeemed by the Levites.