Numbers 3:42-51 - The Levites Take The Place Of The First-Born Sons

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.

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. 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 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.