38 aMoreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, bkeeping charge of the sanctuary, cto meet the needs of the children of Israel; but dthe outsider who came near was to be put to death.
39 aAll who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.
Levites Dedicated Instead of the Firstborn
40 Then the Lord said to Moses: a“Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names.
41 aAnd you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.”
42 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.
43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
45 a“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord.
46 And for athe redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, bwho are more than the number of the Levites,
47 you shall take afive shekels for each one bindividually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, cthe shekel of twenty gerahs.
48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”
49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.
50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, aone thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
51 And Moses agave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Book Notes:
Robertson's Book Notes (NT)
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