1 Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he was married to a Cushite woman from Sudan.

2 They asked: »Did Jehovah speak only through Moses? Did he not also speak through us? Jehovah heard their complaint.

3 Moses was a very humble meek man. He was more humble than anyone else on earth.

4 Suddenly, Jehovah said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: »All three of you come to the tent of meeting.« So all three of them went to the tent.

5 Then Jehovah came down in the column of smoke and stood at the entrance to the tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam. They both came forward.

6 He said: »Listen to my words: ‘When there are prophets of Jehovah among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams.

7 »‘But this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household.

8 »‘I speak with him face to face. I speak plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of Jehovah. Why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?’«

9 Jehovah was angry with them, so he left.

10 After the smoke left the tent, Miriam was covered with an infectious skin disease. She was as white as snow. Aaron turned to her and saw she was covered with the disease.

11 He said to Moses: »Please, do not make us suffer this punishment for our foolish sin.

12 »Do not let her become like something born dead with half its flesh eaten away.«

13 Therefore Moses cried out to Jehovah: »O God, heal her!«

14 Jehovah 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. 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.