Instructions for Numbering the People

11 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “When you take a census of[fn] the Israelites[fn] to count them, they will each give the ransom of his life for Yahweh when counting them, and a plague will not be among them when counting them. 13 This they will give, everyone who is counted,[fn] the half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs per shekel. The half shekel is a contribution for Yahweh. 14 Everyone who is counted[fn] from twenty years old[fn] and above will give the contribution of Yahweh. 15 The rich will not give more, and the poor will not give less than the half shekel to give the contribution of Yahweh to make atonement for their lives. 16 And you will take the atonement money from the Israelites[fn] and give it to the service of the tent of assembly, and it will be as a memorial for the Israelites[fn] before Yahweh to make atonement for your lives.”