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Miriam and Aaron Rebel

12 Miriam(A) and Aaron criticised Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). They said, ‘Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does he not also speak through us? ’ And the Lord heard it. Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.

Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, ‘You three come out to the tent of meeting.’ So the three of them went out. Then the Lord descended in a pillar of cloud,(B) stood at the entrance to the tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them came forward, he said:

‘Listen to what I say:
If there is a prophet among you from the Lord,
I make myself known to him in a vision;(C)
I speak with him in a dream.
Not so with my servant Moses;
he is faithful in[a] all my household.(D)
I speak with him(E) directly,[b]
openly, and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.(F)

So why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? ’ The Lord’s anger burned against them,(G) and he left.

10 As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, resembling snow.[c] When Aaron turned towards her, he saw that she was diseased 11 and said to Moses, ‘My lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Please don’t let her be like a dead baby[d] whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.’

13 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘God, please heal her! ’(H)

14 The Lord answered Moses, ‘If her father had merely spat in her face, wouldn’t she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp(I) for seven days;(J) after that she may be brought back in.’ 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was brought back in.(K) 16 After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

Footnotes

  1. 12:7 Or is entrusted with
  2. 12:8 Lit mouth to mouth
  3. 12:10 A reference to whiteness or flakiness of the skin
  4. 12:12 Alt Hb tradition reads baby who comes out of our mother’s womb and our flesh is half eaten away.

12 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, Hath Jehovah indeed spoken only [a]with Moses? hath he not spoken also [b]with us? And Jehovah heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth.

And Jehovah spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tent of meeting. And they three came out. And Jehovah came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so; he is faithful in all my house: with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the form of Jehovah shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?

And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against them; and he departed. 10 And the cloud removed from over the Tent; and, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Oh, my lord, lay not, I pray thee, sin upon us, for that we have done foolishly, and for that we have sinned. 12 Let her not, I pray, 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 Jehovah, saying, Heal her, O God, I beseech thee. 14 And Jehovah said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut up without the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again. 15 And Miriam was shut up without the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

16 And afterward the people journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 12:2 Or, by
  2. Numbers 12:2 Or, by