³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!^(A) There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food^(B) we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”^(C)

Quail From the Lord

⁴ The rabble with them began to crave other food,^(A) and again the Israelites started wailing^(B) and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.^(C)

³ Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?^(A) Our wives and children^(B) will be taken as plunder.^(C) Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?^(D)” ⁴ And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.^(E)”

⁸ “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;^(A) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.^(B) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.^(C)

²⁴ because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees^(A) and desecrated my Sabbaths,^(B) and their eyes lusted after^(C) their parents’ idols.^(D)