Now, a doubt comes to mind: Scorpions and snakes are poisonous- is this good or evil, for they have a positive existence? Yes, it is true that scorpions and snakes are evil, but only in relation to us and not to themselves, for their venom is their weapon and their sting their means of defence. But as the constituent elements of their venom are incompatible with those of our bodies- that is, as these constituent elements are mutually opposed- the venom is evil, or rather, those elements are evil in relation to each other, while in their own reality they are both good (74:5)

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