Old Testament · Numbers

Numbers 12

The Complaint of Miriam and Aaron

1And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman^a whom he had taken; for he had taken a Cushite woman. 2And they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? has he not also spoken with us?" And the LORD heard.

3And the man^b Moses was very humble, more than all the men^c who were upon the face of the ground^d.

4And the LORD said suddenly to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, "Come out, the three of you, to the tent^e of appointed time (mo-ed)." And the three of them came out. 5And the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and the two of them came out. 6And he said, "Hear now my words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make myself known to him in a vision, in a dream I speak with him.

7Not so my servant Moses; in all my house he is faithful.
8Mouth to mouth I speak with him, and in appearance, and not in riddles; and the form of the LORD he beholds; and why were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?"
9And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

10And the cloud turned away from over the tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as snow; and Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. 11And Aaron said to Moses, "Oh, my lord, lay not, I pray, upon us sin in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12Let her not, I pray, be like the dead, who when he comes out from his mother's womb, half of his flesh^f is consumed."

13And Moses cried to the LORD, saying, "God^g, I pray, heal her, I pray."

14And the LORD said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up seven days outside the camp, and afterward she shall be gathered in."

15And Miriam was shut up outside the camp seven days; and the people did not journey until Miriam was gathered in. 16And afterward the people journeyed from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran.