41. Take the Levites for me, in place of all the oldest sons of the Israelites, for I am the Lord, and the cattle of the Levites in place of all the oldest cattle of the Israelites.
42. Moses enrolled all the oldest males of the Israelites as the Lord commanded.
43. All the oldest males over one month old, recorded by name according to their enrollment, were 22,273.
44. Then the Lord spoke to Moses:
45. Take the Levites in place of all the oldest Israelites and the cattle of the Levites in place of their cattle. The Levites are mine; I am the Lord.