民数记 12
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
米利暗受罚
12 米利暗和亚伦因摩西娶了一个古实的女子而批评他，说： 2 “难道耶和华只借着摩西说话吗？祂不也借着我们说话吗？”耶和华听见了这话。 3 其实摩西为人十分谦和，比世上任何人都谦和。 4 耶和华立刻对摩西、亚伦和米利暗说：“你们三人都到会幕去。”他们就去了。 5 耶和华在云柱中降临，站在会幕门口呼唤亚伦和米利暗，二人就走到前面。 6 耶和华说：“你们听我说，你们中间若有先知，我耶和华必在异象中向他显现，在梦中跟他说话。 7 但我不是这样对待我的仆人摩西，他是我子民中最忠心的人， 8 我跟他面对面说话，清清楚楚，不用谜语，他看得见我的形象。你们怎敢批评我的仆人摩西？” 9 耶和华向他们发怒，然后离去。 10 云彩从会幕上离开的时候，米利暗身上患了麻风病，像雪一样白。亚伦见状， 11 便对摩西说：“我主啊，求你不要因我们愚昧犯罪而惩罚我们。 12 求你不要让她像那一出母腹便半身腐烂的死胎。” 13 于是，摩西呼求耶和华：“上帝啊，求你医治她！” 14 耶和华对摩西说：“如果她父亲在她脸上吐唾沫，她岂不也要蒙羞七天吗？现在把她关在营外，七天后再让她回来。” 15 于是，米利暗被关在营外七天，民众等她回营后才继续前行。 16 他们离开哈洗录，到巴兰旷野安营。
Numbers 12
The Voice
12 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron chastised Moses for marrying a foreign woman—a Cushite (and it was true that he did indeed marry such an African).
Miriam and Aaron: 2 Has the Eternal One spoken only through Moses? No, the Eternal has also spoken through us.
Now, the Eternal One heard this. 3 For his part, Moses was a uniquely humble fellow, more humble than anyone in the entire world. 4 All of a sudden, the Eternal called the three siblings together.
Eternal One: Come here, you three—Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Join Me at the congregation tent.
They did. 5 The Eternal One descended in a cloud-column, stood at the tent opening, and summoned just Aaron and Miriam. They came forward.
Eternal One: 6 Listen to Me. When there are prophets in your midst, I, the Eternal One, will show Myself to them in visions, and will sound My voice in their dreams. 7 It’s different with My servant, Moses. I have entrusted him above anyone else in My whole house, 8 and with him I communicate face-to-face. We speak directly and without riddles. He can even see the very form of the Eternal. So why aren’t you nervous about criticizing My servant, Moses?
Moses is described as uniquely close to the Lord. He is singled out as God’s servant, a distinction reserved for a few in the Old Testament, with David being the most notable. His importance is underscored by God’s unique communication with Moses. It is direct, plain, and without trances, visions, or dreams. Literally, the communication is right in God’s face. The idea here is that it is not veiled but intimate; there is a closeness between God and Moses no other person shares. But in the same way that Jesus will be understood only by those who know Him and are known by Him, God’s communication to Moses is different. It is not a riddle that is hard to understand or easy to confuse. God is seen and heard clearly by His servant and friend, Moses.
9 The Eternal left, quite angry with Miriam and Aaron. 10 When the cloud lifted from the congregation tent, you could see that Miriam had been stricken with a disfiguring skin condition. Her skin looked white, like snow. Aaron looked at her, saw this, 11 and immediately turned to Moses.
Aaron: Please, Moses, my lord, don’t punish us for this offense that we so stupidly committed. 12 Don’t leave her in this partial death—like a stillborn baby whose flesh is already half-rotted away!
Moses (pleading to the Lord): 13 O, God, I ask You to please heal her!
Eternal One (to Moses): 14 If her father had been angry with her and made it obvious by, say, spitting in her face, wouldn’t she have to bear her shame for a week? Just so, you must ostracize her from the camp for seven days. After that, she can rejoin the community.
15 So Miriam was shut out of the community for seven days, which also meant that the whole group didn’t travel until Miriam was brought back in, 16 and they set out again. They journeyed from Hazeroth into the Paran Wilderness and set up camp there.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.