במדבר 12

1 וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה עַל־אֹדוֹת הָאִשָּׁה הַכֻּשִׁית אֲשֶׁר לָקָח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁה כֻשִׁית לָקָֽח׃

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

2 וַיֹּאמְרוּ הֲרַק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה דִּבֶּר יְהוָה הֲלֹא גַּם־בָּנוּ דִבֵּר וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָֽה׃

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

3 וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה ענו עָנָיו מְאֹד מִכֹּל הָֽאָדָם אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָֽה׃

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

4 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה פִּתְאֹם אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל־מִרְיָם צְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶם אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיֵּצְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּֽם׃

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 וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן וַֽיַּעֲמֹד פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּקְרָא אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם וַיֵּצְאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָא דְבָרָי אִם־יִֽהְיֶה נְבִיאֲכֶם יְהוָה בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע בַּחֲלוֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃

“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 לֹא־כֵן עַבְדִּי מֹשֶׁה בְּכָל־בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הֽוּא׃

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

8 פֶּה אֶל־פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר־בּוֹ וּמַרְאֶה וְלֹא בְחִידֹת וּתְמֻנַת יְהוָה יַבִּיט וּמַדּוּעַ לֹא יְרֵאתֶם לְדַבֵּר בְּעַבְדִּי בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃

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 וַיִּֽחַרְ אַף יְהוָה בָּם וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃

The Lord was angry with them, and he left.

10 וְהֶעָנָן סָר מֵעַל הָאֹהֶל וְהִנֵּה מִרְיָם מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּׁלֶג וַיִּפֶן אַהֲרֹן אֶל־מִרְיָם וְהִנֵּה מְצֹרָֽעַת׃

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 וַיֹּאמֶר אַהֲרֹן אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בִּי אֲדֹנִי אַל־נָא תָשֵׁת עָלֵינוּ חַטָּאת אֲשֶׁר נוֹאַלְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁר חָטָֽאנוּ׃

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

12 אַל־נָא תְהִי כַּמֵּת אֲשֶׁר בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵרֶחֶם אִמּוֹ וַיֵּאָכֵל חֲצִי בְשָׂרֽוֹ׃

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

13 וַיִּצְעַק מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהוָה לֵאמֹר אֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָֽהּ׃

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

14 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וְאָבִיהָ יָרֹק יָרַק בְּפָנֶיהָ הֲלֹא תִכָּלֵם שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תִּסָּגֵר שִׁבְעַת יָמִים מִחוּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶה וְאַחַר תֵּאָסֵֽף׃

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 וַתִּסָּגֵר מִרְיָם מִחוּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְהָעָם לֹא נָסַע עַד־הֵאָסֵף מִרְיָֽם׃

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 וְאַחַר נָסְעוּ הָעָם מֵחֲצֵרוֹת וַֽיַּחֲנוּ בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָֽן׃

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