Dissension of Aaron and Miriam
1 ThenMiriam and Aaron spokeagainst Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; forhe had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 So they said, “Has theLordindeed spoken only throughMoses?Has He not spoken through us also?” And theLordheardit.
3 (Now the man Moseswasvery humble, more than all men whowereon the face of the earth.)
4 Suddenly theLordsaid to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out.
5 Then theLordcame down in the pillar of cloud and stoodinthe door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward.
6 Then He said,
“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
# I, theLord, make Myself known to himin a vision;
# I speak to himin a dream.
7 Not so withMy servant Moses;
# Heisfaithful in allMy house.
8 I speak with himface to face,
# Evenplainly, and not in dark sayings;
# And he seesthe form of theLord.
# Why thenwere you not afraid
To speak against My servant Moses?”
9 So the anger of theLordwas aroused against them, and He departed.
10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle,suddenly Miriambecameleprous, aswhiteassnow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.
11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Pleasedo not laythissin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned.
12 Pleasedo not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”
13 So Moses cried out to theLord, saying, “Pleaseheal her, O God, I pray!”
14 Then theLordsaid to Moses, “If her father had butspit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her beshut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be receivedagain.”
15 So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought inagain.
16 And afterward the people moved fromHazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.