Numbers 12
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 12
Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses. 1 Miriam[a] and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 They said, “Has the Lord only spoken through Moses? Has he not also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.
3 Now Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else upon the face of the earth. 4 Suddenly the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and Miriam, saying, “Come out, you three, from the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. 5 The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance to the tabernacle and summoned Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. 6 [b]He said, “Hear now my words:
“If anyone among you is a prophet,
I, the Lord, make myself known to him in a vision,
I speak to him in a dream.
7 It is not that way with Moses,
who is entrusted with all my household.
8 I speak to him face to face,
clearly, and not in riddles.
He beholds the very form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” 9 Then the anger of the Lord blazed against them, and he departed.
10 Miriam’s Punishment. When the cloud lifted up off of the tabernacle, there stood Miriam, leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward Miriam and saw that she was a leper. 11 Aaron said to Moses, “Please, my lord, do not hold the sin against us that we have so foolishly committed! 12 Let her not be like a stillborn child who comes forth from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” 13 Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, I beseech you, heal her!” 14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had only spit in her face, would she not have been shamed for seven days? Confine her outside of the camp for seven days. After that, let her be received back in.”
15 So Miriam was confined outside of the camp for seven days. The people did not move on until Miriam was brought back in. 16 After this, the people left Hazeroth and they camped in the Desert of Paran.
Footnotes
- Numbers 12:1 Miriam is the sister of Moses; the Ethiopian is Zipporah, a Midianite (Ex 2:21). In Israelite thinking, marriage with a foreign woman was cause for a family to lose the gift of prophecy.
- Numbers 12:6 The poetic form emphasizes the solemn nature of the words that single out Moses as the only prophet worthy of God’s trust.
Numbers 12
King James Version
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.
Numbers 12
New King James Version
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. 2 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. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
4 (G)Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. 5 (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. 6 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.
7 Not so with (K)My servant Moses;
(L)He is faithful in all (M)My house.
8 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?”
9 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
- Numbers 12:1 criticized
- Numbers 12:1 Cushite
- Numbers 12:8 appearing
- Numbers 12:8 riddles
- Numbers 12:11 the penalty for this
- Numbers 12:14 exiled
Resansman 12
Haitian Creole Version
12 ¶ Moyiz te marye ak yon fanm peyi Etiopi. Miryam ak Arawon t'ap pale Moyiz mal sou sa.
2 Yo t'ap di konsa: -Eske se sèlman Moyiz Seyè a te pran pou pale ak pèp la? Eske li pa konn pale ak nou pou pèp la tou? Seyè a tande sa yo t'ap di a.
3 Men Moyiz se yon nonm ki pa t' grandizè. pa t' gen pase l' sou latè.
4 ¶ Seyè a rete konsa li pale ak Moyiz, Arawon ak Miryam, li di yo: -Nou twa sa yo, soti non. Ale nan Tant Randevou a. Yo twa a ale vre.
5 Seyè a desann nan yon gwo nwaj ki te gen fòm yon poto. Li kanpe nan papòt tant lan, li rele Arawon ak Miryam ki pwoche vin jwenn li.
6 Li di yo konsa: -Tande byen sa m'ap di nou la a. Lè gen yon pwofèt nan mitan nou, se nan vizyon mwen fè l' wè mwen, se nan rèv mwen pale avè l'.
7 Men, se pa menm bagay la ak Moyiz, sèvitè m' lan. Li se sèl moun mwen fè konfyans nan mitan tout pèp la.
8 Mwen pale avè l' aklè, mwen pa ba li parabòl. Mwen fè l' wè mwen. Ki jan nou fè penmèt nou pale Moyiz, sèvitè m' lan, mal?
9 Seyè a te fè yon sèl fache sou yo, epi l' ale.
10 ¶ Nwaj la leve anwo tant lan, l' ale. Menm lè a, yon sèl maladi tonbe sou Miryam: tout po kò l' vin blanch kou koton. Arawon gade Miryam, li wè Miryam te kouvri ak bouton sou tout po li.
11 Arawon di Moyiz konsa: -Tanpri, mèt mwen. Pa kite nou peye pou sa nou fè a. Tèt nou pa t' la!
12 Tanpri, pa kite Miryam tounen tankou yon tibebe ki fèt tou mouri ak tout mwatye nan kò l' manje.
13 Se konsa, Moyiz rele nan pye Bondye, li di l' konsa: -Bondye, tanpri, geri l' non!
14 Men, Seyè a di Moyiz: -Si se te papa l' ki te krache nan figi l', li t'ap blije pote wont la pandan sèt jou, pa vre? Enben, se pou yo fèmen l' pou kont li pandan sèt jou yon kote andeyò limit kan an. Apre sa, y'a kite l' tounen.
15 Yo fèmen Miryam pou kont li pandan sèt jou yon kote andeyò limit kan an. Pèp la pa t' leve pati toutotan yo pa t' kite Miryam tounen nan kan an ankò.
16 Apre sa, pèp la kite Azewòt kote yo te ye a, yo pati al moute tant yo nan dezè Paran an.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
