Numbers 12 WYC
Summary: Miriam and Aaron criticize Moses over his Cushite wife and challenge his unique authority, asking, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" (v. 2). The narrator notes that Moses was "very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth" (v. 3). The Lord summons all three to the tent of meeting and rebukes Miriam and Aaron directly, affirming that he speaks to Moses "mouth to mouth" unlike with other prophets. As punishment, Miriam is struck with a skin disease; Aaron pleads with Moses, who intercedes for her, and she is healed after seven days' quarantine outside the camp before the people resume their journey.
1And Marie spak and Aaron ayens Moises, for his wijf a womman of Ethiope,
2and seiden, Whethir God spak oneli by Moises? whethir he spak not also to vs in lijk maner? And whanne the Lord hadde herd this, he was wrooth greetli;
3for Moises was the myldest man, ouer alle men that dwelliden in erthe.
4And anoon the Lord spak to Moises and to Aaron and to Marye, Go out ye thre aloone to the tabernacle of boond of pees. And whanne thei weren gon yn,
5the Lord cam doun in a piler of cloude, and he stood in the entryng of the tabernacle, and clepide Aaron and Marie.
6And whanne thei hadden go, he seide to hem, Here ye my wordis; if ony among you is a profete of the Lord, Y schal appere to hym in reuelacioun, ethir Y schal speke to hym bi `a dreem.
7And he seide, And my seruaunt Moises is not siche, which is moost feithful in al myn hows;
8for Y speke to hym mouth to mouth, and he seeth God opynli, and not bi derke spechis and figuris. Why therfor dredden ye not to bacbite `ether depraue my seruaunt Moises?
9And the Lord was wrooth ayens hem, and he wente a wei.
10And the cloude yede awei, that was on the tabernacle and lo! Marie apperide whijt with lepre as snow. And whanne Aaron biheelde hir, and siy hir bispreynd with lepre,
11he seide to Moises, My lord, Y beseche, putte thou not this synne on vs,
12which we diden folili, that this womman be not maad as deed, and as a deed borun thing which is cast out of the `wombe of his modir; lo! now the half of hir fleisch is deuourid with lepre.
13And Moises criede to the Lord, and seide, Lord, Y biseche, heele thou hir.
14To whom the Lord answerid, If hir fadir hadde spet in to hir face, where sche ouyte not to be fillid with schame, nameli in seuene daies? Therfor be sche departid out of the tentis bi seuen daies, and aftirward sche schal be clepid ayen.
15And so Marie was excludid out of the tentis bi seuene daies; and the puple was not mouyd fro that place, til Marie was clepid ayen.
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