Numbers 12:1–15

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. ²And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? ^oHas he not spoken through us also?” And ^pthe Lord heard it. ³Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. ⁴And 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. ⁵And ^qthe Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. ⁶And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him ^rin a vision; I speak with him ^sin a dream. ⁷Not so with ^tmy servant Moses. ^uHe is faithful in all my house. ⁸With him I speak ^vmouth to mouth, clearly, and not in ^wriddles, and he beholds ^xthe form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” ⁹And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.

¹⁰When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, ^yMiriam was ^zleprous,¹ like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. ¹¹And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, ^ado not punish us² because we have done foolishly and have sinned. ¹²Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” ¹³And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” ¹⁴But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but ^bspit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be ^cshut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” ¹⁵So Miriam ^dwas shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.