<p class="poetry">You will pick up your images<n id="1" /> of Sikkuth,<n id="2" /> your king,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and Kiyyun,<n id="4" /> your star god, which you made for yourselves,p>

<p class="poetry">Even if you were to soar high like an eagle,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">even if you<n id="2" /> were to make your nest among the stars,p> <p class="poetry">I can bring you down even from there!&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.p>

God made two great lights<n id="1" /> &#8211; the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also.<n id="2" />

The <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> took him outside and said, &#8220;Gaze into the sky and count the stars &#8211; if you are able to count them!&#8221; Then he said to him, &#8220;So will your descendants be.&#8221;p>

I will multiply your descendants so they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them<n id="1" /> all these lands. All the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.<n id="2" />

There will be very few of you left, though at one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky,<n id="1" /> because you will have disobeyed<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> your God.

<p class="bodytext">David did not count the males twenty years old and under, for the <sc>Lordsc> had promised to make Israel as numerous as the stars in the sky.

<p class="poetry">Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellationsp> <p class="poetry">no longer give out their light;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">the sun is darkened as soon as it rises,p> <p class="poetry">and the moon does not shine.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">You said to yourself,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I will climb up to the sky.p> <p class="poetry">Above the stars of El<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">I will set up my throne.p> <p class="poetry">I will rule on the mountain of assemblyp> <p class="poetry">on the remote slopes of Zaphon.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">You are tired out from listening to so much advice.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Let them take their stand &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the ones who see omens in the sky,p> <p class="poetry">who gaze at the stars,p> <p class="poetry">who make monthly predictions &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">When I extinguish you, I will cover the sky;p> <p class="poetry">I will darken its stars.p> <p class="poetry">I will cover the sun with a cloud,p> <p class="poetry">and the moon will not shine.<n id="1" />p>

I will indeed bless you,<n id="1" /> and I will greatly multiply<n id="2" /> your descendants<n id="3" /> so that they will be as countless as the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession<n id="4" /> of the strongholds<n id="5" /> of their enemies.

<p class="bodytext">Then he had another dream,<n id="1" /> and told it to his brothers. &#8220;Look,&#8221;<n id="2" /> he said. &#8220;I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.&#8221;

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, &#8216;I will multiply your descendants<n id="1" /> like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about<n id="2" /> I will give to your descendants,<n id="3" /> and they will inherit it forever.&#8217;&#8221;

<p class="poetry">&#8216;I see him, but not now;p> <p class="poetry">I behold him, but not close at hand.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">A star<n id="2" /> will march forth<n id="3" /> out of Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">and a scepter<n id="4" /> will rise out of Israel.p> <p class="poetry">He will crush the skulls<n id="5" /> of Moab,p> <p class="poetry">and the heads<n id="6" /> of all the sons of Sheth.<n id="7" />p>

When you look up<n id="1" /> to the sky<n id="2" /> and see the sun, moon, and stars &#8211; the whole heavenly creation<n id="3" /> &#8211; you must not be seduced to worship and serve them,<n id="4" /> for the <sc>Lordsc> your God has assigned<n id="5" /> them to all the people<n id="6" /> of the world.<n id="7" />

<t /><p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> has made a promise to Israel.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who fixed the sun to give light by dayp> <p class="poetry">and the moon and stars to give light by night.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who stirs up the sea so that its waves roll.p> <p class="poetry">He promises it as the one who is known as the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.<n id="1" />p>