米利暗受罰

12 米利暗和亞倫因摩西娶了一個古實的女子而批評他,說: 「難道耶和華只藉著摩西說話嗎?祂不也藉著我們說話嗎?」耶和華聽見了這話。 其實摩西為人十分謙和,比世上任何人都謙和。 耶和華立刻對摩西、亞倫和米利暗說:「你們三人都到會幕去。」他們就去了。 耶和華在雲柱中降臨,站在會幕門口呼喚亞倫和米利暗,二人就走到前面。 耶和華說:「你們聽我說,你們中間若有先知,我耶和華必在異象中向他顯現,在夢中跟他說話。 但我不是這樣對待我的僕人摩西,他是我子民中最忠心的人, 我跟他面對面說話,清清楚楚,不用謎語,他看得見我的形像。你們怎敢批評我的僕人摩西?」 耶和華向他們發怒,然後離去。 10 雲彩從會幕上離開的時候,米利暗身上患了痲瘋病,像雪一樣白。亞倫見狀, 11 便對摩西說:「我主啊,求你不要因我們愚昧犯罪而懲罰我們。 12 求你不要讓她像那一出母腹便半身腐爛的死胎。」 13 於是,摩西呼求耶和華:「上帝啊,求你醫治她!」 14 耶和華對摩西說:「如果她父親在她臉上吐唾沫,她豈不也要蒙羞七天嗎?現在把她關在營外,七天後再讓她回來。」 15 於是,米利暗被關在營外七天,民眾等她回營後才繼續前行。 16 他們離開哈洗錄,到巴蘭曠野安營。

12 1 Aaron and Miriam grudge against Moses.  10 Miriam is stricken with leprosy, and healed at the prayer of Moses.

Afterward Miriam and Aaron [a]spake against Moses, because of the woman of Ethiopia whom he had married (for he had married [b]a woman of Ethiopia.)

And they said, What? hath the Lord spoken but only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? and the Lord heard this.

(But Moses was a very [c]meek man above all the men that were upon the earth.)

And by and by the Lord said unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, come out ye three unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation: and they three came forth.

Then 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.

And he said, Hear now my words, If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you, I will be known to him by a [d]vision, and will speak unto him by dream.

My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful [e]in all mine house,

Unto him will I speak (A)mouth to mouth, and by vision, and not in dark words, but he shall [f]see the similitude of the Lord. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant, even against Moses?

Thus the Lord was very angry with them, and departed.

10 Also the cloud departed from the [g]Tabernacle: and behold, Miriam was leprous like snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

11 Then Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, which we have foolishly committed, and wherein we have sinned.

12 Let her not, I pray thee, be as one [h]dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed, when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.

13 Then Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, O God, I beseech thee, heal her now.

14 ¶ And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had [i]spit in her face, should she not have been ashamed seven days? let her be (B)shut out of the host seven days, and after she shall be received.

15 So Miriam was shut out of the host seven days, and the people removed not, till Miriam was brought in again.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 12:1 Or, murmured.
  2. Numbers 12:1 Zipporah Moses’ wife was a Midianite, and because Midian bordered on Ethiopia, it is sometimes in the Scriptures comprehended under this name.
  3. Numbers 12:3 And so bare with their grudging, although he knew them.
  4. Numbers 12:6 These were the two ordinary means.
  5. Numbers 12:7 In all Israel which was his Church.
  6. Numbers 12:8 So far as any man was able to comprehend, which he calleth his back parts, Exod. 33:23.
  7. Numbers 12:10 From the door of the Tabernacle.
  8. Numbers 12:12 As a child that cometh out of his mother’s belly dead, having as it were but the skin.
  9. Numbers 12:14 In his displeasure.

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam(A) and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife,(B) for he had married a Cushite. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”(C) And the Lord heard this.(D)

(Now Moses was a very humble man,(E) more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

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. 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, 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)
But this is not true of my servant Moses;(J)
    he is faithful in all my house.(K)
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)

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)

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 12:10 The Hebrew for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.