Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

²⁰ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ²¹ “Separate yourselves^(A) from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”^(B)

²² But Moses and Aaron fell facedown^(C) and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things,^(D) will you be angry with the entire assembly^(E) when only one man sins?”^(F)

²³ Then the Lord said to Moses, ²⁴ “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

²⁵ Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel^(G) followed him. ²⁶ He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men!^(H) Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away^(I) because of all their sins.^(J)” ²⁷ So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.^(K) Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children^(L) and little ones at the entrances to their tents.^(M)

²⁸ Then Moses said, “This is how you will know^(N) that the Lord has sent me^(O) to do all these things and that it was not my idea: ²⁹ If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the Lord has not sent me.^{(P) 30} But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth^(Q) and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead,^(R) then you will know that these men have treated the Lord with contempt.^(S)”

³¹ As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart^{(T) 32} and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them^(U) and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. ³³ They went down alive into the realm of the dead,^(V) with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. ³⁴ At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

³⁵ And fire came out from the Lord^(W) and consumed^(X) the 250 men who were offering the incense.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say^(A) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,^(B) discovered in this matter? ² If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.^{(C) 3} What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^[a](D)

⁴ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift^(E) but as an obligation. ⁵ However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.^{(F) 6} David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?^(H) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.^{(I) 10} Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.^(J) So then, he is the father^(K) of all who believe^(L) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich^(A) to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”^(B)

²⁷ Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you!^(C) What then will there be for us?”

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne,^(D) you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(E) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife^[a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.^{(F) 30} But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.^(G)