Numbers 12

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

[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.

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

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

[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].

4 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.

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.

5 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.

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.

6 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.

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.

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

But that is not the way I speak to my servant Moses. I trust that he will lead my people [well].

8 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?”

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!”

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

Yahweh was very angry with Miriam and Aaron, and he left.

10 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.

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.

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

Aaron said to Moses/me, “My master, please do not punish us for this sin that we have foolishly committed.

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

Do not allow Miriam to be like a baby that is already dead when it is born, whose flesh is already half decayed!”

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

So Moses/I cried out to Yahweh, saying, “God, I plead with you to heal her!”

14 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.”

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.”

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

So they sent her outside the camp for seven days. (The people/We) did not move [to another location] until she returned.

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

But after [she returned], they/we left Hazeroth and moved [north] in the Paran Desert and set up their/our tents there.