1En dag gjorde Mirjam og Aron oprør imod Moses, fordi han havde taget sig en kone fra det land, der hed Kush,[1] syd for Egypten.2„Kan Herren kun tale til Moses?” sagde de. „Hvad med os? Herren kan vel lige så godt tale til os.” Herren hørte det,3men Moses prøvede ikke at forsvare sig, for han var jordens mest ydmyge menneske.4Herren talte nu til både Moses, Aron og Mirjam og sagde: „Gå alle tre hen til åbenbaringsteltet!” Da stillede de sig foran teltet.5Derpå steg Herren ned, skjult i en sky, og stillede sig ved indgangen til teltet. „Aron og Mirjam, træd frem,” beordrede han. Det gjorde de så.6Herren fortsatte: „Når jeg taler til en profet, gør jeg det normalt gennem syner og drømme,7men det er ikke på den måde, jeg kommunikerer med min tjener Moses. Han er en trofast leder for mit folk.[2]8Med ham taler jeg ansigt til ansigt og ikke i gåder. Han har set mig, som jeg er. Hvor vover I så at gøre oprør imod ham?”9Så forlod Herren dem i vrede,10og da skyen løftede sig fra teltet, var Mirjam fyldt med hvide pletter over hele kroppen. Aron var rystet over synet af det11og udbrød: „Åh Moses, gå i forbøn for os, så vi ikke mister livet på grund af denne tåbelige synd.12Mirjam ligner jo et dødfødt barn, der allerede er begyndt at gå i forrådnelse.”13Da råbte Moses til Herren: „Herre, jeg beder dig: Gør hende rask.”14Herren svarede: „Hvis hendes egen far havde spyttet hende i ansigtet, var hun blevet uren og måtte bære sin skam i syv dage. Send hende derfor uden for lejren. Efter syv dage kan hun vende tilbage igen.”15Så blev Mirjam udstødt af lejren i syv dage, og folket måtte vente på hende, før de kunne rejse videre.16Derefter forlod de Hatzerot og nåede frem til Parans ørken, hvor de slog lejr og blev et stykke tid.
1Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.2And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. (4.Mos 11,1; 2.Kong 19,4; Es 37,4; Ez 35,12; Mika 6,4; Mal 3,16)3Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.4And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out.5And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. (4.Mos 11,25; 4.Mos 16,19)6And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. (1.Mos 20,6; 1.Mos 31,10; 1.Mos 46,2; 1.Kong 3,5; Job 33,15; Ez 1,1; Dan 8,2; Dan 10,8; Dan 10,16; Matt 1,20; Matt 27,19; Luk 1,11; Luk 1,22; Ap G 10,11; Ap G 22,17)7Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. (Salm 105,26; Heb 3,2; Heb 3,5)8With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” (2.Mos 33,11; 2.Mos 33,20; 2.Mos 33,23; 4.Mos 7,89; 5.Mos 34,10; Salm 49,4; Salm 78,2; Ord 1,6; 1.Kor 13,12)9And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed.10When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous,[1] like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. (3.Mos 13,10; 5.Mos 24,9)11And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us[2] because we have done foolishly and have sinned. (2.Sam 19,19; 2.Sam 24,10; Ord 30,32)12Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”13And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.”14But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” (3.Mos 13,46; 5.Mos 25,9; Job 30,10)15So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. (2.Kong 15,5; 2.Krøn 26,20; Luk 17,12)16After that the people set out from Hazeroth, and camped in the wilderness of Paran. (4.Mos 10,12; 4.Mos 11,35; 4.Mos 33,18)