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. 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. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

(G)Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. (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. Then He said,

“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him (I)in a vision;
I speak to him (J)in a dream.
Not so with (K)My servant Moses;
(L)He is faithful in all (M)My house.
I speak with him (N)face to face,
Even (O)plainly,[c] and not in [d]dark sayings;
And he sees (P)the form of the Lord.
Why then (Q)were you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”

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. 16 And afterward the people moved from (Z)Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 12:1 criticized
  2. Numbers 12:1 Cushite
  3. Numbers 12:8 appearing
  4. Numbers 12:8 riddles
  5. Numbers 12:11 the penalty for this
  6. Numbers 12:14 exiled

The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron

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); (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. (Now the man Moses was (C)very humble, more than any person who was on the face of the earth.) 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. (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, 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.
It is not this way for (G)My servant Moses;
(H)He is faithful in all My household;
(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?”

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.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 12:8 Lit in
  2. Numbers 12:8 Lit riddles
  3. Numbers 12:11 Lit place the sin on us

Miriam şi Aaron cârtesc împotriva lui Moise

12 Miriam şi Aaron au vorbit împotriva lui Moise din cauza femeii cuşite[a] cu care se căsătorise (pentru că el se căsătorise cu o femeie cuşită); ei ziceau: „Oare numai prin Moise a vorbit Domnul? N-a vorbit şi prin noi?“ Domnul a auzit ce spuneau.

Moise era un om foarte blând[b], mai blând decât orice om de pe faţa pământului.

Deodată Domnul le-a zis lui Moise, lui Aaron şi lui Miriam:

– Veniţi toţi trei la Cortul Întâlnirii!

Şi cei trei au venit. Atunci Domnul S-a coborât într-un stâlp de nor şi i-a chemat pe Aaron şi pe Miriam; amândoi au venit în faţă. El le-a zis:

– Ascultaţi cuvintele Mele:

când este un profet între voi,
    Eu, Domnul, Mă fac cunoscut lui în vedenii
        şi îi vorbesc în visuri.
Nu tot aşa este şi cu robul Meu Moise;
    el este credincios peste toată casa Mea.
Cu el vorbesc gură către gură,
    clar, nu prin cuvântări enigmatice.
        El vede înfăţişarea Domnului.
Cum de nu v-aţi temut deci
    să vorbiţi împotriva robului Meu Moise?

Mânia Domnului s-a aprins împotriva lor şi El S-a îndepărtat. 10 Când norul s-a îndepărtat de pe Cortul Întâlnirii, Miriam era plină de lepră[c], albă ca zăpada. Aaron s-a întors spre Miriam şi a văzut că era plină de lepră. 11 Atunci Aaron i-a zis lui Moise:

– Stăpânul meu, nu ne pedepsi pentru un păcat pe care l-am făcut aşa de nebuneşte. 12 Nu lăsa ca ea să fie ca un copil născut mort, a cărui carne este pe jumătate mâncată când iese din pântecele mamei lui.

13 Moise a strigat către Domnul:

– O Dumnezeule, Te rog, vindec-o!

14 Dar Domnul i-a răspuns lui Moise:

– Dacă tatăl ei ar fi scuipat-o în faţă, n-ar fi fost ea făcută de ruşine timp de şapte zile? Să fie deci închisă afară din tabără timp de şapte zile, iar după aceea poate fi primită din nou.

15 Astfel Miriam a fost închisă în afara taberei timp de şapte zile. Poporul n-a mărşăluit mai departe până ce Miriam n-a fost primită din nou. 16 După aceea poporul a plecat din Haţerot şi şi-a aşezat tabăra în pustia Paran.

Footnotes

  1. Numeri 12:1 Sau: etiopeancă
  2. Numeri 12:3 Sensul termenului ebraic este acela de sărman, umil, de aici probabil sensul de smerit, blând; vezi Ţef. 2:3, pentru o contextualizare a termenului
  3. Numeri 12:10 Termenul ebraic poate desemna diverse boli ale pielii, nu neapărat lepra; peste tot în acest capitol