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!
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.
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 are 151,450 men in all the groups [17] in Reuben’s camp. Reuben’s camp will be the second group to move when the people travel from place to place.
“There are 157,600 men in Dan’s camp. They will be the last family to move when the people travel from place to place. Each person will be with his family’s flag.”
“There is a total of 186,400 men in Judah’s camp. All these men are divided into their different family groups. Judah will be the first group to move when the people travel from one place to another.
We know that \{our body\}—the tent we live in here on earth—will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a home for us to live in. It will not be a home made by men. It will be a home in heaven that will continue forever.