Dissension of Aaron and Miriam

12 Then ^(A)Miriam and Aaron ^[a]spoke ^(B)against Moses because of the ^[b]Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for ^(C)he had married an Ethiopian woman. ² So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through ^(D)Moses? ^(E)Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord ^(F)heard it. ³ (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

^4 (G)Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. ^5 (H)Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. ⁶ Then He said,

⁹ So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. ¹⁰ And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, ^(R)suddenly Miriam became ^(S)leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. ¹¹ So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please ^(T)do not lay ^[e]this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. ¹² Please ^(U)do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”

¹³ So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please ^(V)heal her, O God, I pray!”

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but ^(W)spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be ^(X)shut^[f] out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” ^15 (Y)So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again.

¹³ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only ^(A)do not use liberty as an ^(B)opportunity for the flesh, but ^(C)through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For ^(D)all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ^(E)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

¹⁹ Now ^(A)the works of the flesh are evident, which are: ^[a]adultery, ^[b]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, ^[c]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that ^(B)those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom

^13 (A)Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have ^(B)bitter envy and ^[a]self-seeking in your hearts, ^(C)do not boast and lie against the truth. ^15 (D)This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. ¹⁶ For ^(E)where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. ¹⁷ But ^(F)the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, ^(G)without partiality ^(H)and without hypocrisy. ^18 (I)Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.