²⁰ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ²¹ “Separate yourselves from this congregation, so that I may consume them in a moment.”^{(A) 22} They fell on their faces and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one person sin and you become angry with the whole congregation?”^(B)

²³ And the Lord spoke to Moses: ²⁴ “Speak to the congregation, saying: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” ²⁵ So Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram; the elders of Israel followed him. ²⁶ He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Turn away from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs, or you will be swept away for all their sins.”^{(C) 27} So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives, their children, and their little ones. ²⁸ And Moses said, “This is how you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works; it has not been of my own accord:^{(D) 29} If these people die a natural death or if a natural fate comes on them, then the Lord has not sent me. ³⁰ But if the Lord creates something new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up, with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the Lord.”^(E)

³¹ As soon as he finished speaking all these words, the ground under them was split apart.^{(F) 32} The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with their households—everyone who belonged to Korah and all their goods.^{(G) 33} So they with all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. ³⁴ All Israel around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth will swallow us, too!” ³⁵ And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred fifty men offering the incense.^(H)

The Example of Abraham

4 What then are we to say was gained by^[a] Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? ² For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.^{(A) 3} For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed^[b] God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”^{(B) 4} Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.^{(C) 5} But to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. ⁶ So also David pronounces a blessing on those to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

⁹ Is this blessing, then, pronounced only on the circumcised or also on the uncircumcised? We say, “Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness.” ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after but before he was circumcised. ¹¹ He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith^[c] while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the ancestor of all who believe^[d] without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them,^{(E) 12} and likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who are not only circumcised but follow the example of the faith that our ancestor Abraham had before he was circumcised.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(A) 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 astounded and said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”^(B)

²⁷ Then Peter said in reply, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”^{(C) 28} Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(D) 29} And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or^[a] children or fields for my name’s sake will receive a hundredfold^[b] and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.^(E)