The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron

1Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2and they said, “Is it a fact that the LORD has spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard this. 3(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any person who was on the face of the earth.) 4And the LORD suddenly said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “You three go out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out. 5Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent; and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6He said,

“Now hear My words:

If there is a prophet among you,

I, the LORD, will make Myself known to him in a vision.

I will speak with him in a dream.

7“It is not this way for My servant Moses;

He is faithful in all My household;

8With him I speak mouth to mouth,

That is, openly, and not [a]using [b]mysterious language,

And he beholds the form of the LORD.

So why were you not afraid

To speak against My servant, against Moses?”

9And the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10But when the cloud had withdrawn from above the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous. 11Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not [c]hold us responsible for this sin by which we have turned out to be foolish, and by which we have sinned. 12Oh, do not let her be like a dead person, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” 13So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “God, heal her, please!” 14But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had only spit in her face, would she not be put to shame for seven days? Have her shut outside the camp for seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” 15So Miriam was shut outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.

16Afterward, however, the people moved on from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.