Numbers 12

1 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, because of his wife, an Ethiopian,

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married.

2 and they said: “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not also spoken similarly to us?” And when the Lord had heard this,

They said, “Has Yahweh spoken only with Moses? Has he not spoken also with us?” Now Yahweh heard what they said.

3 (for Moses was a man exceedingly meek, beyond all the men who were living upon the earth)

Now the man Moses was very humble, humbler than anyone else on earth.

4 immediately he spoke to him, and to Aaron and Miriam, “Go out, you three only, to the tabernacle of the covenant.” And when they had gone out,

Right away Yahweh spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out.

5 the Lord descended in a column of cloud, and he stood at the entrance of the tabernacle, calling to Aaron and Miriam. And when they had advanced,

Then Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud. He stood at the entrance to the tent and called Aaron and Miriam. They both came forward.

6 he said to them: “Listen to my words. If there will be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will appear to him in a vision, or I will speak to him through a dream.

Yahweh said, “Now listen to my words. When a prophet of mine is with you, I will reveal myself to him in visions and speak to him in dreams.

7 But it is not so with my servant Moses, who is the most faithful in all my house.

My servant Moses is not like that. He is faithful in all my house.

8 For I speak with him mouth to mouth, and plainly. And not through enigmas and figures does he perceive the Lord. Therefore, why were you not afraid to disparage my servant Moses?”

I speak to Moses directly, not with visions or riddles. He sees my form. So why are you unafraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”

9 And being angry against them, he went away.

Yahweh's anger burned against them, and then he left them.

10 Likewise, the cloud which was over the tabernacle withdrew. And behold, Miriam appeared to be white with a leprosy, like snow. And when Aaron had looked upon her, and he had seen the spreading of the leprosy,

The cloud rose from over the tent, and Miriam was suddenly leprous—she was as white as snow. When Aaron turned toward Miriam, he saw that she had leprosy.

11 he said to Moses: “I beg you, my lord, not to impose upon us this sin, which we have committed foolishly.

Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my master, please do not hold this sin against us. We have spoken foolishly, and we have sinned.

12 Do not let this one be like one who is dead, or like an abortion that has been cast from the womb of her mother. Behold, half of her flesh is already consumed by leprosy.”

Please do not let her be like a dead newborn whose flesh is half consumed when it emerges from its mother's womb.”

13 And Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “O God, I beg you: heal her.”

So Moses called out to Yahweh. He said, “Please heal her, God, please.”

14 And the Lord answered him: “If her father had spit on her face, should she not have been filled with shame for at least seven days? Let her be separated, outside the camp, for seven days, and after that, she will be called back.”

Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, she would be disgraced for seven days. Shut her outside the camp for seven days. After that bring her in again.”

15 And so Miriam was excluded from the camp for seven days. And the people did not move from that place, until Miriam was called back.

So Miriam was shut outside the camp for seven days. The people did not journey until she had returned to the camp.

16 And the people set out from Hazeroth, and they pitched their tents in the desert of Paran.

After that, the people journeyed from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.