Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses

¹Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman. ²They said, "Has the LORD only spoken through Moses? Hasn't he spoken through us too?" The LORD heard what they said. ³(Now Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth.) ⁴Without warning, the LORD spoke to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam: "All 3 of you, come out to the Tent of Meeting." So the 3 of them went out. ⁵The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam forward, and they both stepped out. ⁶He said, "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. When there is a prophet among you, I the LORD reveal myself to that person through visions and speak to them in dreams. ⁷My servant Moses is not like that; he is faithful in all my house. ⁸I speak with him mouth to mouth — plainly, not in riddles — and he sees the very form of the LORD. So why weren't you afraid to speak against my servant Moses?" ⁹The LORD's anger burned against them, and he departed. ¹⁰When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, Miriam became leprous, white as snow. Aaron turned to look at her and saw that she was leprous. ¹¹Aaron pleaded with Moses, "Please, my lord, don't hold this sin against us! We acted foolishly, and we have sinned. ¹²Don't let her be like a stillborn baby whose flesh is already half eaten away when it comes from its mother's womb." ¹³Moses cried out to the LORD, "Please, God, I beg you — heal her!" ¹⁴The LORD answered Moses, "If her own father had spit in her face, wouldn't she bear that shame for 7 days? Confine her outside the camp for 7 days, and after that she can be brought back in." ¹⁵So Miriam was confined outside the camp for 7 days, and the people didn't move on until she was brought back in. ¹⁶After that, the people left Hazeroth and set up camp in the wilderness of Paran.