³ and the people of Israel said to them, ^(A)“Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, ^(B)when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

⁴ Now the ^(A)rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also ^(B)wept again and said, ^(C)“Oh that we had meat to eat! ^5 (D)We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

³ Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? ^(A)Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” ⁴ And they said to one another, ^(B)“Let us choose a leader and ^(C)go back to Egypt.”

^8 (A)But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me. ^(B)None of them cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.

“Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them ^(C)and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

²⁴ because they had not obeyed my rules, but had rejected my statutes and profaned my Sabbaths, ^(A)and their eyes were set on their fathers' idols.