Numbers, 12

1. Miriam, and Aaron too, criticised Moses over the Cushite woman he had married. He had indeed married a Cushite woman.

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

2. They said, 'Is Moses the only one through whom Yahweh has spoken? Has he not spoken through us too?' Yahweh heard this.

2. and they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it.

3. Now Moses was extremely humble, the humblest man on earth.

3. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth.

4. Suddenly Yahweh said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, 'Come out, all three of you, to the Tent of Meeting.' They went, all three of them,

4. And suddenly the LORD said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting." And the three of them came out.

5. and Yahweh descended in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam and they both came forward.

5. And 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.

6. Yahweh said: Listen to my words! if there is a prophet among you, I reveal myself to him in a vision, I speak to him in a dream.

6. And he said, "Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream.

7. Not so with my servant Moses; to him my whole household is entrusted;

7. Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house.

8. to him I speak face to face, plainly and not in riddles, and he sees Yahweh's form. How, then, could you dare to criticise my servant Moses?

8. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in dark speech; and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"

9. Yahweh's anger was aroused by them. He went away,

9. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed;

10. and as soon as the cloud left the Tent, there was Miriam covered with a virulent skin-disease, white as snow! Aaron turned to look at her and saw that she had contracted a virulent skin-disease.

10. and when the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

11. Aaron said to Moses: 'Oh, my Lord, please do not punish us for the sin we have been foolish enough to commit.

11. And Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned.

12. Do not let her be like some monster with its flesh half eaten away when it leaves its mother's womb!'

12. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother's womb."

13. Moses pleaded with Yahweh. 'O God,' he said, 'I beg you, please heal her!'

13. And Moses cried to the LORD, "Heal her, O God, I beseech thee."

14. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'If her father had done no more than spit in her face, would she not be unclean for seven days? Have her shut out of the camp for seven days, and then have her brought in again.'

14. But the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again."

15. Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days. The people did not set out until she returned.

15. So Miriam was shut up outside the camp seven days; and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.

16. Then the people moved on from Hazeroth and pitched camp in the desert of Paran.

16. After that the people set out from Haze'roth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.