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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”

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. 50 He collected the money from the firstborn Israelites: 1,365 shekels[a] measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. 51 He gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the Lord, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 3:50 Over 34 pounds of silver