16 Therefore those peoplea were deservedly punished through such creatures,

and were tormented by a multitude of animals.

2 Instead of this punishment you showed kindness to your people,

and you prepared quails to eat,

a delicacy to satisfy the desire of appetite;

3 in order that those people, when they desired food,

might lose the least remnant of appetiteb

because of the odious creatures sent to them,

while your people,c after suffering want a short time,

might partake of delicacies.

4 For it was necessary that upon those oppressors inescapable want should come,

while to these others it was merely shown how their enemies were being tormented.

5 For when the terrible rage of wild animals came upon your peopled

and they were being destroyed by the bites of writhing serpents,

your wrath did not continue to the end;

6 they were troubled for a little while as a warning,

and received a symbol of deliverance to remind them of your law’s command.

7 For the one who turned toward it was saved, not by the thing that was beheld,

but by you, the Savior of all.

8 And by this also you convinced our enemies

that it is you who deliver from every evil.

9 For they were killed by the bites of locusts and flies,

and no healing was found for them,

because they deserved to be punished by such things.

10 But your children were not conquered even by the fangs of venomous serpents,

for your mercy came to their help and healed them.

11 To remind them of your oracles they were bitten,

and then were quickly delivered,

so that they would not fall into deep forgetfulness

and become unresponsivee to your kindness.

12 For neither herb nor poultice cured them,

but it was your word, O Lord, that heals all people.

13 For you have power over life and death;

you lead mortals down to the gates of Hades and back again.

14 A person in wickedness kills another,

but cannot bring back the departed spirit,

or set free the imprisoned soul.