Numbers 8:16-18

Evangelical Heritage Version

¹⁶ because only they are given to me as servants from among the Israelites. In place of every firstborn from the womb, the firstborn of every Israelite, I have taken the Levites for myself. ¹⁷ For all the firstborn among the Israelites are mine, both human and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set the firstborn of the Israelites apart for myself. ¹⁸ But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites.