8. By this also you convinced our foesthat you are the one who delivers from all evil.
9. For the bites of locusts and of flies slew them,and no remedy was found to save their livesbecause they deserved to be punished by such means;
10. But not even the fangs of poisonous reptiles overcame your children,for your mercy came forth and healed them.
11. For as a reminder of your injunctions, they were stung,and swiftly they were saved,Lest they should fall into deep forgetfulnessand become unresponsive to your beneficence.
12. For indeed, neither herb nor application cured them,but your all-healing word, O Lord!
13. For you have dominion over life and death;you lead down to the gates of Hades and lead back.
14. Human beings, however, may kill another with malice,but they cannot bring back the departed spirit,or release the soul that death has confined.
15. Your hand no one can escape.
16. For the wicked who refused to know youwere punished by the might of your arm,Were pursued by unusual rains and hailstorms and unremitting downpours,and were consumed by fire.
17. For against all expectation, in water which quenches everything,the fire grew more active;For the universe fights on behalf of the righteous.
18. Then the flame was temperedso that the beasts that were sent upon the wicked might not be burnt up,but that these might see and know that they were struck by the judgment of God;
19. And again, even in the water, fire blazed beyond its strengthso as to consume the produce of the wicked land.
20. Instead of this, you nourished your people with food of angelsand furnished them bread from heaven, ready to hand, untoiled-for,endowed with all delights and conforming to every taste.
21. For this substance of yours revealed your sweetness toward your children,and serving the desire of the one who received it,was changed to whatever flavor each one wished.
22. Yet snow and ice withstood fire and were not melted,so that they might know that their enemies’ fruitsWere consumed by a fire that blazed in the hailand flashed lightning in the rain.
23. But this fire, again, in order that the righteous might be nourished,forgot even its proper strength;
24. For your creation, serving you, its maker,grows tense for punishment against the wicked,but is relaxed in benefit for those who trust in you.
25. Therefore at that very time, transformed in all sorts of ways,it was serving your all-nourishing bountyaccording to what they needed and desired;