Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam^(A) and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife,^(B) for he had married a Cushite. ² “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”^(C) And the Lord heard this.^(D)

³ (Now Moses was a very humble man,^(E) more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

⁴ At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. ⁵ Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud;^(F) he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, ⁶ he said, “Listen to my words:

⁹ The anger of the Lord burned against them,^(O) and he left them.^(P)

¹⁰ When the cloud lifted from above the tent,^(Q) Miriam’s skin was leprous^[a]—it became as white as snow.^(R) Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease,^{(S) 11} and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed.^{(T) 12} Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.”

¹³ So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!^(U)”

¹⁴ The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face,^(V) would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp^(W) for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” ¹⁵ So Miriam was confined outside the camp^(X) for seven days,^(Y) and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

Life by the Spirit

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.^(A) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh^[a];^(B) rather, serve one another^(C) humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”^{[b](D) 15} If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality,^(A) impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.^(B) I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.^(C)

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it^(A) by their good life, by deeds^(B) done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition^(C) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.^{(D) 15} Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven^(E) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.^{(F) 16} For where you have envy and selfish ambition,^(G) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven^(H) is first of all pure; then peace-loving,^(I) considerate, submissive, full of mercy^(J) and good fruit, impartial and sincere.^{(K) 18} Peacemakers^(L) who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.^(M)