41. They belong to me, but I will accept the Levites as substitutes for them, and I will accept the Levites' livestock as substitutes for the Israelites' firstborn livestock.”
42. Moses obeyed the Lord and counted the firstborn sons;
43. there were 22,273 of them.
44. Then the Lord said,
45. “The Levites will belong to me and will take the place of the firstborn sons; their livestock will take the place of the Israelites' firstborn livestock.