13 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² ‘Consecrate every firstborn male^(A) to me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is mine.’

¹⁶ For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites.^(A) I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn.^{(B) 17} For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both man and animal. I consecrated them to myself^(C) on the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites.