Numbers 12

1 Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife.

Miriam and Aaron were critical of Moses because of his Ethiopian wife—he'd married an Ethiopian woman.

2 “Does the LORD speak only through Moses?” they said. “Does He not also speak through us?” And the LORD heard this.

“Is it only through Moses that the Lord speaks?” they asked. “Doesn't he speak through us too?” The Lord heard all this.

3 Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.

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

4 And suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three, come out to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three went out,

All of a sudden the Lord called for Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, telling them, “The three of you, come to the Tent of Meeting.” The three of them did so.

5 and the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the Tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them had stepped forward,

The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood in the entrance to the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam and they came forward.

6 He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.

“Now listen to my words, he told them. If you had prophets, I the Lord would reveal myself to them in visions; I would communicate with them in dreams.

7 But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house.

But it's not like this with my servant Moses, who of all my people is the one who is faithful.

8 I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”

I talk to him personally, face to face. I speak plainly, not in riddles. He sees the likeness of the Lord. So why weren't you afraid when you criticized my servant Moses?”

9 So the anger of the LORD burned against them, and He departed.

The Lord was angry with them, and he left.

10 As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous,

As the cloud rose above the Tent, Miriam's skin suddenly turned white with leprosy. Aaron turned to look and saw that she had leprosy.

11 and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.

He said to Moses, “My lord, please don't punish us for this sin that we've so stupidly committed.

12 Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”

Please don't let her become like a stillborn baby whose flesh is already decaying when they're born!”

13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, please heal her!”

Moses called out to the Lord, “God, please heal her!”

14 But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.”

But the Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face wouldn't she have been disgraced for seven days? Keep her in isolation outside the camp for seven days, and then she can be taken back in.”

15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again.

Miriam was kept in isolation outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was taken back in.

16 After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

Then the people left Hazeroth and set up camp in the Desert of Paran.