Numbers 12

1 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, on account of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for an Ethiopian woman had he married.

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

2 And they said, Hath then only with Moses the Lord spoken? hath he not also spoken with us? And the Lord heard it.

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

3 (But the man Moses was very meek, more so than any man who was upon the face of the earth.)

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

4 And the Lord said suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Go out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation; and these 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, and stood at the door of the tabernacle; and he called Aaron and Miriam, and both of them went out.

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 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet of your kind, I, the Lord, do make myself known unto him in a vision, in a dream do I speak with him.

“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 Not so is my servant Moses, in all my house is he faithful.

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

8 Mouth to mouth do I speak with him, even evidently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord doth he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant, against 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 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he went away.

The Lord was angry with them, and he left.

10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, [white] as snow; and Aaron turned toward Miriam, and, behold, 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 Then said Aaron unto Moses, Alas, my Lord, do not, I beseech thee, account to us as sin that wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.

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

12 Let her not be as a dead-born child, of which half the flesh is consumed, when it cometh out of its mother's womb.

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

13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, O God! do thou heal her, I beseech thee.

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

14 And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had spit in her face, would she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut up seven days outside of the camp, and after that let her be brought in again.

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 And Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days; and the people did not set forward till Miriam 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 And afterward the people removed from Chazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.

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