< Numbers 12 >

1 [Moses’/My older sister] Miriam and [his/my older brother] Aaron were saying this: “Is Moses the only one to whom Yahweh has spoken messages to tell to us [RHQ]? Does Yahweh not speak messages to us two also?” [They told people that] they were saying that because Moses/I had married a woman who was a descendant of the Cush people-group, [but they were really saying that because they (were jealous/did not want Moses/me to be the only leader of the Israeli people)]. But Yahweh heard what they were saying.
וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה עַל־אֹדוֹת הָאִשָּׁה הַכֻּשִׁית אֲשֶׁר לָקָח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁה כֻשִׁית לָקָֽח׃
2
וַיֹּאמְרוּ הֲרַק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה הֲלֹא גַּם־בָּנוּ דִבֵּר וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהֹוָֽה׃
3 [The truth was that] Moses/I was very humble. He/I was more humble than anyone else on the earth [and Moses/I had not appointed himself/myself to be their leader].
וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד מִכֹּל הָֽאָדָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
4 So immediately Yahweh spoke to Moses/me and to Aaron and Miriam. He said, “All three of you must go and stand at the Sacred Tent.” So they/we did that.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה פִּתְאֹם אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל־מִרְיָם צְאוּ שְׁלׇשְׁתְּכֶם אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיֵּצְאוּ שְׁלׇשְׁתָּֽם׃
5 Then Yahweh descended to the entrance of the tent in a cloud [that resembled a huge white] pillar. He told Aaron and Miriam to step forward, so they did.
וַיֵּרֶד יְהֹוָה בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן וַֽיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם וַיֵּצְאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃
6 Then he said to them, “Listen to me! When a prophet is among you, I [usually] reveal myself to him by allowing him to see visions, and I speak to him in dreams.
וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָא דְבָרָי אִם־יִֽהְיֶה נְבִיאֲכֶם יְהֹוָה בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע בַּחֲלוֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃
7 But that is not the way I speak to my servant Moses. I trust that he will lead my people [well].
לֹא־כֵן עַבְדִּי מֹשֶׁה בְּכׇל־בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הֽוּא׃
8 So I talk to him face-to-face. I speak to him (clearly/using words that he will understand easily), not using parables. He has even seen what I look like. So you should be afraid to criticize my servant Moses!”
פֶּה אֶל־פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר־בּוֹ וּמַרְאֶה וְלֹא בְחִידֹת וּתְמֻנַת יְהֹוָה יַבִּיט וּמַדּוּעַ לֹא יְרֵאתֶם לְדַבֵּר בְּעַבְדִּי בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃
9 Yahweh was very angry with Miriam and Aaron, and he left.
וַיִּֽחַר־אַף יְהֹוָה בָּם וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃
10 When the cloud rose up from the Sacred Tent, Aaron looked at Miriam, and he saw that her skin was [as white] as snow, because she now had leprosy.
וְהֶעָנָן סָר מֵעַל הָאֹהֶל וְהִנֵּה מִרְיָם מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּׁלֶג וַיִּפֶן אַהֲרֹן אֶל־מִרְיָם וְהִנֵּה מְצֹרָֽעַת׃
11 Aaron said to Moses/me, “My master, please do not punish us for this sin that we have foolishly committed.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַהֲרֹן אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בִּי אֲדֹנִי אַל־נָא תָשֵׁת עָלֵינוּ חַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר נוֹאַלְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁר חָטָֽאנוּ׃
12 Do not allow Miriam to be like a baby that is already dead when it is born, whose flesh is already half decayed!”
אַל־נָא תְהִי כַּמֵּת אֲשֶׁר בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵרֶחֶם אִמּוֹ וַיֵּאָכֵל חֲצִי בְשָׂרֽוֹ׃
13 So Moses/I cried out to Yahweh, saying, “God, I plead with you to heal her!”
וַיִּצְעַק מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹר אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָֽהּ׃
14 But Yahweh replied, “If her father had [rebuked her for doing something wrong by] spitting in her face, she would have been ashamed for seven days. [She should be ashamed because of what she has done]. So send her outside the camp for seven days. Then [she will not have leprosy any more, and] she may return to the camp.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאָבִיהָ יָרֹק יָרַק בְּפָנֶיהָ הֲלֹא תִכָּלֵם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תִּסָּגֵר שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מִחוּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶה וְאַחַר תֵּאָסֵֽף׃
15 So they sent her outside the camp for seven days. (The people/We) did not move [to another location] until she returned.
וַתִּסָּגֵר מִרְיָם מִחוּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְהָעָם לֹא נָסַע עַד־הֵאָסֵף מִרְיָֽם׃
16 But after [she returned], they/we left Hazeroth and moved [north] in the Paran Desert and set up their/our tents there.
וְאַחַר נָסְעוּ הָעָם מֵחֲצֵרוֹת וַֽיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָֽן׃

< Numbers 12 >