36. The people from the Merari family were given the job of caring for the frames of the Holy Tent. They cared for all the braces, posts, bases, and everything that was used with the frames of the Holy Tent.
37. They also cared for all the posts in the courtyard around the Holy Tent. This included all the bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
38. Moses, Aaron, and his sons camped east of the Holy Tent, in front of the Meeting Tent. They were given the work of caring for the Holy Place. They did this for all the Israelites. Anyone else who came near the Holy Place was to be killed.
39. The Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to count all the men and boys one month old or older in Levi’s family group. The total number was 22,000.
40. The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn men and boys in Israel who are at least one month old. Write their names on a list.
41. I am the Lord. I will take the Levites instead of all the firstborn men and boys of Israel. I will also take the animals from the Levites instead of taking all the firstborn animals from the other people in Israel.”
42. So Moses did what the Lord commanded. He counted all the firstborn children of the Israelites.
43. He listed all the firstborn men and boys who were one month old or older. There were 22,273 names on that list.
44. The Lord also said to Moses,
45. “I, the Lord, give this command: ‘Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn men from the other families of Israel. And I will take the animals of the Levites instead of the animals of the other people. The Levites are mine.
46. There are 22,000 Levites, but there are 22,273 firstborn sons from the other families. This leaves 273 more firstborn sons than Levites.
47. Using the official measure, collect five shekels of silver for each of the 273 people. (The shekel by the official measure weighs 20 gerahs.) Collect that silver from the Israelites.
48. Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as payment for the 273 Israelites.’”
49. There were not enough Levites to take the place of all the men from the other family groups, so Moses gathered the money for them.
50. Moses collected the silver from the firstborn men of the Israelites. He collected 1365 shekels of silver, using the official measure.
51. Moses obeyed the Lord’S command and gave the silver to Aaron and his sons. He did it just as the Lord had told him.