Numbers 12

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

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

2 They said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? Has not he spoken also 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 Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth.

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

4 The LORD spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!” The three of them came 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 The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward.

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 He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream.

“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 My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house.

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

8 With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see the LORD’s form. Why then were you 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 The LORD’s anger burned against them; and he departed.

The Lord was angry with them, and he left.

10 The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at 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 Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please do not count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which 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, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”

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

13 Moses cried to the LORD, saying, “Heal her, God, I beg you!”

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

14 The LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should not she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall 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 Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people did not travel until 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 Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.

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