Liber Numeri 12

1 Locutaque est Maria et Aaron contra Moysen propter uxorem eius Aethiopissam,

[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 et dixerunt: Num per solum Moysen locutus est Dominus? nonne et nobis similiter est locutus? Quod cum audisset Dominus iratus est,

3 (Erat enim Moyses vir mitissimus super omnes homines qui morabantur in terra)

[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 statim locutus est Dominus ad eum, et ad Aaron et Mariam: Egredimini vos tantum tres ad tabernaculum foederis. Cumque fuissent egressi,

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 descendit Dominus in columna nubis, et stetit in introitu tabernaculi vocans Aaron et Mariam. Qui cum issent,

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 dixit ad eos: Audite sermones meos: si quis fuerit inter vos propheta Domini, in visione apparebo ei, vel per somnium loquar ad illum.

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 At non talis servus meus Moyses, qui in omni domo mea fidelissimus est:

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

8 ore enim ad os loquor ei: et palam, et non per aenigmata et figuras Dominum videt. Quare ergo non timuistis detrahere servo meo Moysi?

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 Iratusque contra eos, abiit:

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

10 nubes quoque recessit quae erat super tabernaculum: et ecce Maria apparuit candens lepra quasi nix. Cumque respexisset eam Aaron, et vidisset perfusam lepra,

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 ait ad Moysen: Obsecro domine mi, ne imponas nobis hoc peccatum quod stulte commisimus,

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

12 ne fiat haec quasi mortua, et ut abortivum quod proiicitur de vulva matris suae. ecce iam medium carnis eius devoratum est a lepra.

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

13 Clamavitque Moyses ad Dominum, dicens: Deus, obsecro, sana eam.

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

14 Cui respondit Dominus: Si pater eius spuisset in faciem illius, nonne debuerat saltem septem diebus rubore suffundi? Separetur septem diebus extra castra, et postea revocabitur.

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 Exclusa est itaque Maria extra castra septem diebus: et populus non est motus de loco illo, donec revocata est Maria.

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

16 Profectusque est populus de Haseroth fixis tentoriis in deserto Pharan.

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