Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 111^[a]

12 When they were in Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses on account of the Cushite woman whom he had married—for he had married a Cushite woman. ² They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” The Lord heard it. ³ Now the man Moses was humble, more so than anyone on earth.

The Lord defends Moses

⁴ Immediately, the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three go out to the meeting tent.” So the three of them went out. ⁵ Then the Lord descended in a column of cloud, stood at the entrance of the tent, and called to Aaron and Miriam. The two of them came forward. ⁶ He said, “Listen to my words: If there is a prophet of the Lord among you,^[a] I make myself known to him in visions. I speak to him in dreams. ⁷ But not with my servant Moses. He has proved to be reliable with all my household. ⁸ I speak with him face-to-face, visibly, not in riddles. He sees the Lord’s form. So why aren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” ⁹ The Lord’s anger blazed against them, and they went back.

The Lord punishes Miriam

¹⁰ When the cloud went away from over the tent, Miriam suddenly developed a skin disease flaky like snow. Aaron turned toward Miriam and saw her skin disease. ¹¹ Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my master, please don’t punish us for the sin that we foolishly committed. ¹² Please don’t let her be like the stillborn, whose flesh is half eaten as it comes out of the mother’s womb.”

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

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not be shamed for seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp for seven days, and afterward she will be brought back.” ¹⁵ So they shut Miriam out of the camp seven days. And the people didn’t march until Miriam was brought back.

A man with a skin disease

¹² Jesus was in one of the towns where there was also a man covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged, “Lord, if you want, you can make me clean.”

¹³ Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be clean.” Instantly, the skin disease left him. ¹⁴ Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone. “Instead,” Jesus said, “go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses instructed. This will be a testimony to them.” ¹⁵ News of him spread even more and huge crowds gathered to listen and to be healed from their illnesses. ¹⁶ But Jesus would withdraw to deserted places for prayer.