The Complaint of Miriam and Aaron 1 UDB Moses's older sister Miriam and his older brother Aaron were jealous of Moses and said, "Is Moses the only one to whom Yahweh has spoken messages to tell to us? Does Yahweh not speak messages through us two also?" They also criticized Moses because he had married a woman who was a descendant of the Cush people. And Yahweh heard Miriam and Aaron complaining about Moses. BSB BSB: Then Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had taken a Cushite wife.
3 UDB The truth was that Moses was a very humble person. He was more humble than anyone else on the earth. BSB BSB: Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.
4 UDB So immediately Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam. He said, "All three of you must go and stand at the sacred tent." So they did that. BSB BSB: And suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three, come out to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three went out,
5 UDB Then Yahweh descended to the entrance of the tent in a cloud that resembled a huge white pillar. He told Aaron and Miriam to step forward, so they did. BSB BSB: and the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the Tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them had stepped forward,
6 UDB Then he said to them, "Listen to me! When a prophet is among you, I usually reveal myself to him by allowing him to see visions, and I speak to him in dreams. BSB BSB: He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.
7 UDB But that is not the way I speak to my servant Moses. I trust that he will lead my people well. BSB BSB: But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house.
8 UDB So I talk to him face to face. I speak to him clearly, not using parables. He has even seen what I look like. So you should be afraid to criticize my servant Moses!" BSB BSB: I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
9 UDB Yahweh was very angry with Miriam and Aaron, and he left. BSB BSB: So the anger of the LORD burned against them, and He departed.
10 UDB When the cloud rose up from the sacred tent, Aaron looked at Miriam, and he saw that her skin was as white as snow because she now had leprosy. BSB BSB: As the cloud lifted from above the Tent, suddenly Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned toward her, saw that she was leprous,
11 UDB Aaron said to Moses, "My master, please do not punish us for this sin that we have foolishly committed. BSB BSB: and said to Moses, “My lord, please do not hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.
12 UDB Do not allow Miriam to be like a baby that is already dead when it is born, whose flesh is already half decayed!" BSB BSB: Please do not let her be like a stillborn infant whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
13 UDB So Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, "God, I plead with you to heal her!" BSB BSB: So Moses cried out to the LORD, “O God, please heal her!”
14 UDB But Yahweh replied, "If her father had rebuked her for doing something wrong by spitting in her face, she would have been ashamed for seven days. She should be ashamed because of what she has done. So send her outside the camp for seven days. Then she will not have leprosy anymore, and she may return to the camp." BSB BSB: But the LORD answered Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.”
15 UDB So they sent her outside the camp for seven days. The people did not move to another location until she returned. BSB BSB: So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she was brought in again.
16 UDB But after she returned, they left Hazeroth and moved north in the Paran Desert and set up their tents there. BSB BSB: After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.