Numbers 12 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Miriam and Aaron Criticize Moses

12 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses. They criticized him because he married an Ethiopian[a] woman. 2 They said to themselves, “Moses is not the only one the Lord has used to speak to the people. He has also spoken through us!”

The Lord heard this. 3 (Moses was a very humble man. He was more humble than any other man on earth.) 4 So suddenly, the Lord came and spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He said, “You three, come to the Meeting Tent, now!”

So Moses, Aaron, and Miriam went to the Tent. 5 The Lord came down in the tall cloud and stood at the entrance to the Tent. He called out, “Aaron and Miriam!” They went to him. 6 God said, “Listen to me! You will have prophets. I, the Lord, will let them learn about me through visions. I will speak to them in dreams. 7 But Moses is not like that. He is my faithful servant—I trust him with everyone in my house. 8 When I speak to him, I talk face to face with him. I don’t use stories with hidden meanings—I show him clearly what I want him to know. And Moses can look at the very image of the Lord. So why were you brave enough to speak against my servant Moses?”

9 The Lord was very angry with them, and he left them. 10 The cloud rose from the Tent. Aaron turned and looked at Miriam. Her skin was white like snow—she had a terrible skin disease!

11 Then Aaron said to Moses, “Please, sir, forgive us for the foolish sin that we did. 12 Don’t let her lose her skin like a baby who is born dead.” (Sometimes a baby will be born like that, with half of its skin eaten away.)

13 So Moses prayed to the Lord, “God, please heal her from this sickness!”

14 The Lord answered Moses, “If her father spit in her face, she would be shamed for seven days. So put her outside the camp for seven days. After that she can come back into the camp.”

15 So they took Miriam outside the camp for seven days. And the people did not move from that place until she was brought in again. 16 After that the people left Hazeroth and traveled to the desert of Paran where they set up camp.

Footnotes

  1. Numbers 12:1 Ethiopian Or “Cushite,” a person from Ethiopia, in Africa.

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12 And Miriam speaketh -- Aaron also -- against Moses concerning the circumstance of the Cushite woman whom he had taken: for a Cushite woman he had taken; 2 and they say, `Only by Moses hath Jehovah spoken? also by us hath he not spoken?' and Jehovah heareth. 3 And the man Moses [is] very humble, m...
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Numbers 12 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

12 And Marie spake and Aaron against Moses, for his wife (was) a woman of Ethiopia, (And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, for his wife was an Ethiopian woman,) 2 and they said, Whether God spake his will only by Moses? whether he spake not also to us in like manner? And when the Lord had heard ...
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Numbers 12 - World English Bible (WEB)

12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And Yahweh heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who w...
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Numbers 12 - The Voice (VOICE)

12 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron chastised Moses for marrying a foreign woman—a Cushite (and it was true that he did indeed marry such an African). Miriam and Aaron: 2 Has the Eternal One spoken only through Moses? No, the Eternal has also spoken through us.Now, the Eternal One heard...
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Numbers 12 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses12 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on account of the Cushite woman he married, because he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They asked, “Has Adonai spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t He also spoken through us?”Adonai heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very h...
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Numbers 12 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Aaron and Miriam Jealous of Moses12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; 2 and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man M...
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Numbers 12 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Aaron and Miriam Jealous of Moses12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; 2 and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man M...
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Numbers 12 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Aaron and Miriam Jealous of Moses12 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman); 2 and they said, ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?’ And the L...
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Numbers 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Aaron and Miriam Jealous of Moses12 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had indeed married a Cushite woman),(A)2 and they said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the ...
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Numbers 12 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Complaints of Miriam and Aaron12 While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. 3 (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than ...
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Numbers 12 - New Life Version (NLV)

Miriam and Aaron Spoke against Moses12 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Is it true that the Lord has spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now Moses was a man with n...
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Numbers 12 - New King James Version (NKJV)

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Numbers 12 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Miriam and Aaron oppose Moses12 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?’ they asked. ‘Hasn’t he also spoken through us?’ And the Lord heard this. 3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humbl...
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Numbers 12 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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Numbers 12 - New English Translation (NET)

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