Bible Verses About Firstborn: Redemption of

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Register all the firstborn males of the people of Isra'el a month old and over, and determine how many there are.

Then you are to take the L'vi'im for me, ADONAI, in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of the firstborn of the cattle belonging to the people of Isra'el."

Moshe counted, as ADONAI had ordered him, all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el.

The total number of firstborn males registered, a month old and over, of those who were counted, was 22,273.

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"Take the L'vi'im in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra'el, and the cattle of the L'vi'im in place of their cattle; the L'vi'im are to belong to me, ADONAI.

Since there were 273 more firstborn males from Isra'el than male L'vi'im, in order to redeem them,

you are to take five shekels [two ounces] for each of these (use the sanctuary shekel, which is equal to twenty gerahs).

Give the redemption money for these extra people to Aharon and his sons."

Moshe took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the L'vi'im;

the amount of money he took from the firstborn of the people of Isra'el was 1,365 shekels, using the sanctuary shekel.

Moshe gave the redemption-money to Aharon and his sons, in keeping with what ADONAI had said, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

"Everything that comes first out of the womb, of all living things which they offer to ADONAI, whether human or animal, will be yours. However, the firstborn of a human being you must redeem, and the firstborn of an unclean beast you are to redeem.

The sum to be paid for redeeming anyone a month old or over is to be five shekels of silver [two ounces], as you value it, using the sanctuary shekel (this is the same as twenty gerahs).

But the firstborn of an ox, sheep or goat you are not to redeem; they are holy - you are to splash their blood against the altar and make their fat go up in smoke as an offering made by fire, as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI.