Numbers 12

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

And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married: for he had married a Cushite woman.

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

And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoke only by Moses? hath he not spoke also by us? And the LORD heard [it].

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

(Now the man Moses [was] very meek, above all the men who [were] upon the face of the earth.)

4 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.

And the LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, Come out ye three to the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.

5 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.

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 “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.

And he said, Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, [I] the LORD will make myself known to him in a vision, [and] will speak to him in a dream.

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

My servant Moses [is] not so, who [is] faithful in all my house.

8 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?”

With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: why then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

9 The Lord was angry with them, and he left.

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

10 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.

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

And Aaron said to Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned.

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

Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed at the time of his birth.

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

And Moses cried to the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.

14 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.”

And the LORD said to 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 [again].

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

And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in [again].

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

And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.