Then God led Abram outside. God said, “Look at the sky. See the many stars. There are so many you can’t count them. In the future, your family will be like that.”
I will truly bless you. I will give you many, many descendants, [126] as many as the stars in the sky. There will be as many people as sand on the seashore. And your people will live in cities that they take from their enemies.
Stay in that land, and I will be with you. I will bless you. I will give you and your family all these lands. I will do what I promised to Abraham your father.
You will have many, many descendants. [163] They will be as many as the pieces of dust on earth. They will spread east and west, north and south. All the families on earth will be blessed because of you and your descendants.
There were many, many people in Judah and Israel. The number of people was like sands on the seashore. The people lived happy lives: They ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves.
and told David how many people there were. In Israel there were 1,100,000 men who could use a sword. And there were 470,000 men in Judah who could use a sword.
Abijah’s army had 400,000 brave soldiers. Abijah led that army into battle. Jeroboam’s army had 800,000 brave soldiers. Jeroboam got ready to have a war with Abijah.
All the men 20 years old or older were counted. There were 603,550 men, and each man had to pay a tax of 1 beqa [445] of silver. (Using the official measure, a beqa is 1Ú2 shekel. [446])
You will die in this desert. Every person who is 20 years old or older and was counted as one of my people will die. You complained against me, the Lord.
Who can count Jacob’s people?
They are as many as the grains of dust.
No one can count even a fourth of
the people of Israel.
Let me die like a good man.
Let my life end as happy as theirs!
When your ancestors [64] went down into Egypt, there were only 70 people. Now the Lord your God has made you many, many people—as many as the stars in the sky.
