12 Moses had married a woman who was a descendant of Cush. Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because he had married that woman. [ a ] 2 They said, ‘We do not believe that the Lord has really spoken only by Moses. We believe that he has spoken by us too.’ The Lord heard what they said.
3 Moses was a very humble man. He was the most humble person in the whole world.
4 Immediately, the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, ‘You three people come out to the Tent of Meeting.’ So the three people went there. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud. He stood at the door of the tent. He said that Aaron and Miriam should come nearer. They both came nearer. 6 Then he said, ‘Listen to my words! If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord , will show myself to him in a vision. Or I will speak to him in a dream. 7 But it is different when I speak to Moses. He is the one that I trust to lead all my people. 8 I speak clearly to him, as I come near to him. I do not say things to him that are hard to understand. He even sees the shape of the Lord . So you should have been afraid to speak against my servant Moses!’
9 So the Lord was very angry with Aaron and Miriam and he left them. 10 But when the cloud had gone away from over the tent, Miriam's skin became white, like snow. She now had the bad disease called leprosy in her skin. Aaron looked at her and he saw that she had leprosy.
11 Then Aaron said to Moses, ‘My master, please do not punish us because we have done this very silly thing. We have done a bad thing. 12 But do not let Miriam be like a baby that is born dead, with a body that is only half there.’
13 So Moses called loudly to the Lord , ‘Please God, make her well again!’ 14 But the Lord said to Moses, ‘Even if her father had spat on her face, she would have to be ashamed for seven days. So you must keep her outside the camp for seven days. After that you can let her come back inside the camp.’
15 So Moses kept Miriam outside the camp for seven days. The people did not start to travel again until they had brought Miriam back into the camp again.
16 After that, the people left Hazeroth. They went to the Paran desert and they put up their tents there.
12 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses. They criticized him because he married an Ethiopian [ a ] woman. 2 They said to themselves, “Moses is not the only one the Lord has used to speak to the people. He has also spoken through us!”
The Lord heard this. 3 (Moses was a very humble man. He was more humble than any other man on earth.) 4 So suddenly, the Lord came and spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He said, “You three, come to the Meeting Tent, now!”
So Moses, Aaron, and Miriam went to the Tent. 5 The Lord came down in the tall cloud and stood at the entrance to the Tent. He called out, “Aaron and Miriam!” They went to him. 6 God said, “Listen to me! You will have prophets. I, the Lord , will let them learn about me through visions. I will speak to them in dreams. 7 But Moses is not like that. He is my faithful servant—I trust him with everyone in my house. 8 When I speak to him, I talk face to face with him. I don’t use stories with hidden meanings—I show him clearly what I want him to know. And Moses can look at the very image of the Lord . So why were you brave enough to speak against my servant Moses?”
9 The Lord was very angry with them, and he left them. 10 The cloud rose from the Tent. Aaron turned and looked at Miriam. Her skin was white like snow—she had a terrible skin disease!
11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Please, sir, forgive us for the foolish sin that we did. 12 Don’t let her lose her skin like a baby who is born dead.” (Sometimes a baby will be born like that, with half of its skin eaten away.)
13 So Moses prayed to the Lord , “God, please heal her from this sickness!”
14 The Lord answered Moses, “If her father spit in her face, she would be shamed for seven days. So put her outside the camp for seven days. After that she can come back into the camp.”
15 So they took Miriam outside the camp for seven days. And the people did not move from that place until she was brought in again. 16 After that the people left Hazeroth and traveled to the desert of Paran where they set up camp.
12 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
4 And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.
13 And Moses cried unto the Lord , saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
14 And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again.
15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.
16 And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.
12 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a ( A ) Cushite woman); 2 ( B ) and they said, “Is it a fact that the Lord has spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard this . 3 (Now the man Moses was ( C ) very humble, more than any person who was on the face of the earth.) 4 And the Lord suddenly said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “You three go out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out. 5 ( D ) Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent; and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6 He said,
“Now hear My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord , will make Myself known to him in a ( E ) vision.
I will speak with him in a ( F ) dream.
7 It is not this way for ( G ) My servant Moses;
( H ) He is faithful in all My household;
8 ( I ) With him I speak mouth to mouth,
That is, openly, and not [ a ] using [ b ] mysterious language,
And he beholds ( J ) the form of the Lord .
So why were you not afraid
To speak against My servant, against Moses?”
9 And the anger of the Lord burned against them and ( K ) He departed. 10 But when the cloud had withdrawn from above the tent, behold, ( L ) Miriam was leprous, as ( M ) white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous. 11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, ( N ) do not [ c ] hold us responsible for this sin by which we have turned out to be foolish, and by which we have sinned. 12 Oh, do not let her be like a dead person, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord , saying, “God, ( O ) heal her, please!” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had only ( P ) spit in her face, would she not be put to shame for seven days? Have her shut ( Q ) outside the camp for seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” 15 So ( R ) Miriam was shut outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.
16 Afterward, however, the people moved on from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.
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:
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord , reveal ( G ) myself to them in visions, ( H )
I speak to them in dreams. ( I )
7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; ( J )
he is faithful in all my house. ( K )
8 With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles; ( L )
he sees the form of the Lord . ( M )
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?” ( N )
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.
16 After that, the people left Hazeroth ( Z ) and encamped in the Desert of Paran. ( AA )
