For all the firstborn males among the Israelites are mine, both humans and animals; when I destroyed ¹  all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set them apart for myself.

So I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn sons among the Israelites.

because all the firstborn are mine. When I destroyed ¹  all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am the Lord.” ² 

But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow or a sheep or a goat; they are holy. You must splash ¹  their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The Reubenites: from ¹  Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; from Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

The firstborn of every womb which they present to the Lord, whether human or animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn sons you must redeem, ¹  and the firstborn males of unclean animals you must redeem.

“Look, ¹  I myself have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead of ²  every firstborn who opens the womb among the Israelites. So the Levites belong to me,

And all the firstborn males, by the number of the names from a month old and upward, totaled 22,273.

“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. And the Levites will be mine. I am the Lord.

From the firstborn males of the Israelites he collected the money, 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

Now the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them; the Lord also executed judgments on their gods.

And take ¹  the Levites for me – I am the Lord – instead of all the firstborn males among the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites.”

For they are entirely given ¹  to me from among the Israelites. I have taken them for myself instead of ²  all who open the womb, the firstborn sons of all the Israelites.