¹⁷ All the firstborn ·in Israel—people or animals[—^Lamong the sons/^Tchildren of Israel and among people and among animals] are mine. When I ·killed [^Lstruck] all the firstborn in Egypt [Ex. 12:12–13], I ·set the firstborn in Israel aside for myself [^Lconsecrated/sanctified them to me; Ex. 13:2, 11–16; 22:29–30; 34:19–20]. ¹⁸ But I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn ·in Israel [^Lamong the sons/^Tchildren of Israel]. ¹⁹ From all the ·Israelites [^Lsons/^Tchildren of Israel] I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons so that they may serve the Israelites at the Meeting Tent. They will ·help remove the Israelites’ sins so they will belong to the Lord [^Lmake atonement for the sons/^Tchildren of Israel] and so that no ·disaster [plague] will strike the Israelites when they approach the ·Holy Place [Tabernacle].”