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The Redemption of the Firstborn

40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Enroll all the firstborn males of the Israelites, from a month old and up, and count their names. 41 But you shall take the Levites for me—I am the Lord—as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites and the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn among the livestock of the Israelites.”(A) 42 So Moses enrolled all the firstborn among the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. 43 The total enrollment, all the firstborn males from a month old and up, counting the number of names, was twenty-two thousand two hundred seventy-three.(B)

44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites as substitutes for all the firstborn among the Israelites and the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for their livestock, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord.(C) 46 As the price of redemption of the two hundred seventy-three of the firstborn of the Israelites, over and above the number of the Levites,(D) 47 you shall take five shekels apiece, reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, a shekel of twenty gerahs.(E) 48 Give to Aaron and his sons the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed.” 49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the firstborn of the Israelites he took the money, one thousand three hundred sixty-five shekels, reckoned by the shekel of the sanctuary,(F) 51 and Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

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40 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Muster every firstborn male from the Israelites[a] from one month[b] and above and count[c] their names. 41 And you will receive the Levites for me—I am Yahweh—in the place of all the firstborn among the Israelites,[d] and the animals[e] of the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the animals[f] among the Israelites.”[g] 42 So Moses mustered[h] all the firstborn among the Israelites[i] just as Yahweh commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males[j] among the number of names from one month[k] and above, the ones counted,[l] were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Receive the Levites in the place of all the firstborn among the Israelites,[m] and the animals of the Levites in the place of their animals; the Levites will be mine. I am Yahweh. 46 And the ransom of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the Israelites[n] who are excessive over the Levites, 47 you will receive five shekels a person, in the sanctuary shekel; you will collect twenty gerahs[o] per shekel. 48 You will give the money to Aaron, and to his sons the ransom of the ones who are excessive among them.” 49 And Moses received the money of the redemption from the ones who were excessive from those redeemed of the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the Israelites[p] he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, in the sanctuary shekel. 51 And Moses gave the money of the ransom to Aaron and to his sons according to the word[q] of Yahweh just as Yahweh commanded Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 3:40 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. Numbers 3:40 Literally “the son of a month”
  3. Numbers 3:40 Literally “and lift up the number of”
  4. Numbers 3:41 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  5. Numbers 3:41 Hebrew “animal”
  6. Numbers 3:41 Hebrew “animal”
  7. Numbers 3:41 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  8. Numbers 3:42 Or “counted” or “summoned” or “enrolled”
  9. Numbers 3:42 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  10. Numbers 3:43 Hebrew “male”
  11. Numbers 3:43 Literally “the son of a month”
  12. Numbers 3:43 Literally “the ones counted of them,” or “the ones mustered of them”
  13. Numbers 3:45 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  14. Numbers 3:46 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  15. Numbers 3:47 Hebrew “gerah”
  16. Numbers 3:50 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  17. Numbers 3:51 Literally “mouth”