40. The Lord said to Moses, “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites who is at least one month old, and make a list of their names.
41. I am the Lord. Take the Levites for me to be substitutes for all firstborn Israelites. Also take the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for all firstborn animals of the Israelites.”
42. So Moses registered all the firstborn Israelites as the Lord commanded him.
43. The total of all the firstborn males at least one month old was 22,273. They were listed by name.
44. The Lord said to Moses,
45. “Take the Levites to be substitutes for all the firstborn Israelites and the animals of the Levites to be substitutes for their animals. The Levites will be mine. I am the Lord.
46. There are 273 more firstborn male Israelites than there are Levites.
47. It will cost you two ounces of silver per person (using the standard weight of the holy place) to buy them back.
48. Give the silver to Aaron and his sons. It will buy back those Israelites who outnumber the Levites.”
49. So Moses took this ransom money from the Israelites who outnumbered the Levites.
50. The silver Moses collected for the firstborn Israelites weighed 34 pounds, using the standard weight of the holy place.
51. Then Moses did what the Lord said and gave Aaron and his sons this ransom money as he had been commanded.