Numbers 3:40-51 ▼

40 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Count every first-born male of the children of Israel from a month old and upwards, and take the number by name.

41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me - I am the Lord - instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the children of Israel.

42 And Moses counted, as the Lord commanded him, every first-born among the children of Israel.

43 And all the male first-born in number by name, from a month old and upwards, were according to their numbering twenty-two thousand and two hundred and seventy-three.

44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

45 Take the Levites instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine; I am the Lord.

46 And for the ransoms of the two hundred and seventy-three which exceed the Levites in number of the first-born of the sons of Israel;

47 thou shalt even take five shekels a head; thou shalt take them according to the holy didrachm, twenty oboli to the shekel.

48 And thou shalt give the money to Aaron and to his sons, the ransom of those who exceed in number among them.

49 And Moses took the silver, the ransom of those that exceeded in number the redemption of the Levites.

50 He took the silver from the first-born of the sons of Israel, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the holy shekel.

51 And Moses gave the ransom of them that were over to Aaron and his sons, by the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.