Add parallel Print Page Options

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses because he was married to a woman from Sudan. They asked, “Did the Lord speak only through Moses? Didn’t he also speak through us?” The Lord heard their complaint.

(Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth.)

Suddenly, the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “All three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So all three of them came. Then the Lord came down in the column of smoke and stood at the entrance to the tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.

He said, “Listen to my words: When there are prophets of the Lord among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams. But this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household.[a] I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of the Lord. Why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”

The Lord was angry with them, so he left.

10 When the smoke left the tent, Miriam was covered with an infectious skin disease. She was as white as snow. Aaron turned to her and saw she was covered with the disease. 11 So he said to Moses, “Please, sir, don’t punish us for this foolish sin we committed. 12 Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby that’s not completely developed.”

13 So Moses cried to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!”

14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her own father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she be excluded from the community for seven days? She must be put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. The people didn’t break camp until she was brought back.

16 After that, the people moved from Hazeroth and set up camp in the Desert of Paran.

Footnotes

  1. 12:7 Or “He is in charge of my entire household.”

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? (A)Has he not spoken through us also?” And (B)the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. And (C)the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him (D)in a vision; I speak with him (E)in a dream. Not so with (F)my servant Moses. (G)He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak (H)mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in (I)riddles, and he beholds (J)the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.

10 When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, (K)Miriam was (L)leprous,[a] like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11 And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, (M)do not punish us[b] because we have done foolishly and have sinned. 12 Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb.” 13 And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but (N)spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be (O)shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam (P)was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. 16 After that the people set out from (Q)Hazeroth, and camped in (R)the wilderness of Paran.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 12:10 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
  2. Numbers 12:11 Hebrew do not lay sin upon us

Marie frappée de la lèpre

12 Marie et Aaron parlèrent contre Moïse au sujet de la femme éthiopienne qu’il avait prise, car il avait pris une femme éthiopienne. Ils dirent: Est-ce seulement par Moïse que l’Eternel parle? N’est-ce pas aussi par nous qu’il parle? Et l’Eternel l’entendit. Or, Moïse était un homme fort patient, plus qu’aucun homme sur la face de la terre.

Soudain l’Eternel dit à Moïse, à Aaron et à Marie: Allez, vous trois, à la tente d’assignation. Et ils y allèrent tous les trois. L’Eternel descendit dans la colonne de nuée, et il se tint à l’entrée de la tente. Il appela Aaron et Marie, qui s’avancèrent tous les deux. Et il dit: Ecoutez bien mes paroles! Lorsqu’il y aura parmi vous un prophète, c’est dans une vision que moi, l’Eternel, je me révélerai à lui, c’est dans un songe que je lui parlerai. Il n’en est pas ainsi de mon serviteur Moïse. Il est fidèle dans toute ma maison[a]. Je lui parle bouche à bouche, je me révèle à lui sans énigmes, et il voit une représentation de l’Eternel. Pourquoi donc n’avez-vous pas craint de parler contre mon serviteur, contre Moïse?

La colère de l’Eternel s’enflamma contre eux. Et il s’en alla. 10 La nuée se retira de dessus la tente. Et voici, Marie était frappée d’une lèpre, blanche comme la neige. Aaron se tourna vers Marie; et voici, elle avait la lèpre. 11 Alors Aaron dit à Moïse: De grâce, mon seigneur, ne nous fais pas porter la peine du péché que nous avons commis en insensés, et dont nous nous sommes rendus coupables! 12 Oh! qu’elle ne soit pas comme l’enfant mort-né, dont la chair est à moitié consumée quand il sort du sein de sa mère! 13 Moïse cria à l’Eternel, en disant: O Dieu, je te prie, guéris-la! 14 Et l’Eternel dit à Moïse: Si son père lui avait craché au visage, ne serait-elle pas pendant sept jours un objet de honte? Qu’elle soit enfermée sept jours en dehors du camp; après quoi, elle y sera reçue. 15 Marie fut enfermée sept jours en dehors du camp; et le peuple ne partit point, jusqu’à ce que Marie y soit rentrée.

16 Après cela, le peuple partit de Hatséroth, et il campa dans le désert de Paran.

Footnotes

  1. Nombres 12:7 + Hé 3:2, 5