1 Afterward Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses, because of the woman of Ethiopia whome hee had maried (for hee had married a woman of Ethiopia) 2 And they saide, What? hath the Lord spoken but onely by Moses? hath he not spoken also by vs? and the Lord heard this. 3 (But Moses was a verie meeke man, aboue all the men that were vpon the earth) 4 And by and by the Lord sayd vnto Moses, and vnto Aaron, and vnto Miriam, come out yee three vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation: and they three came forth. 5 Then the Lord came downe in the pillar of the cloude, and stoode in the doore of the Tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth. 6 And hee saide, Heare nowe my wordes, If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you, I will be knowen to him by a vision, and will speake vnto him by dreame. 7 My seruant Moses is not so, who is faithfull in all mine house. 8 Vnto him will I speake mouth to mouth, and by vision, and not in darke wordes, but hee shall see the similitude of the Lord. Wherefore then were ye not afraid to speake against my seruant, euen against Moses? 9 Thus the Lord was very angrie with them, and departed. 10 Also the cloude departed from the Tabernacle: and beholde, Miriam was leprous like snowe: and Aaron looked vpon Miriam, and beholde, she was leprous. 11 Then Aaron saide vnto Moses, Alas, my Lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sinne vpon vs, which we haue foolishly committed and wherein we haue sinned. 12 Let her not, I pray thee, be as one dead, of whome the flesh is halfe consumed, when he commeth out of his mothers wombe. 13 Then Moses cryed vnto the Lord, saying, O God, I beseech thee, heale her nowe. 14 And the Lord said vnto Moses, If her father had spit in her face, shoulde she not haue bene ashamed seuen dayes? let her be shut out of the hoste seuen dayes, and after she shall bee receiued. 15 So Miriam was shut out of the hoste seuen dayes, and the people remooued not, till Miriam was brought in againe.
Miriam Is Punished
1 Moses had married a Cushite woman, and Miriam and Aaron criticized him for it. 2 They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn't he also spoken through us?” The Lord heard what they said. ( 3 Moses was a humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth.)
4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “I want the three of you to come out to the Tent of my presence.” They went, 5 and the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance of the Tent, and called out, “Aaron! Miriam!” The two of them stepped forward, 6 and the Lord said, “Now hear what I have to say! When there are prophets among you, I reveal myself to them in visions and speak to them in dreams. 7 It is different when I speak with my servant Moses; I have put him in charge of all my people Israel. 8 So I speak to him face-to-face, clearly and not in riddles; he has even seen my form! How dare you speak against my servant Moses?”
9 The Lord was angry with them; and so as he departed 10 and the cloud left the Tent, Miriam's skin was suddenly covered with a dreaded disease and turned as white as snow. When Aaron looked at her and saw that she was covered with the disease, 11 he said to Moses, “Please, sir, do not make us suffer this punishment for our foolish sin. 12 Don't let her become like something born dead with half its flesh eaten away.”
13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, heal her!”
14 The Lord answered, “If her father had spit in her face, she would have to bear her disgrace for seven days. So let her be shut out of the camp for a week, and after that she can be brought back in.” 15 Miriam was shut out of the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought back in. 16 Then they left Hazeroth and set up camp in the wilderness of Paran.