Job 25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 25
Bildad’s Third Speech. 1 [a]Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 Dominion and dread are his
who brings about harmony in his heavens.
3 Is there any numbering of his troops?[b]
Yet on which of them does his light not rise?
4 How can anyone be in the right against God,(A)
or how can any born of woman be innocent?
5 Even the moon is not bright
and the stars are not clean in his eyes.
6 How much less a human being, who is but a worm,
a mortal, who is only a maggot?(B)
Footnotes
- 25:1 At this point any structure in the dialogues disappears. Bildad’s speech is very short, and there follow two speeches attributed to Job, with significantly different introductions in 27:1 and 29:1, and with no intervening third speech of Zophar.
- 25:3 His troops: the heavenly host, or army, the stars (cf. Jgs 5:20), later understood as angels.
Job 25
English Standard Version
Bildad Speaks: Man Cannot Be Righteous
25 Then (A)Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:
2 “Dominion and fear are with God;[a]
he makes peace in his high heaven.
3 Is there any number to his (B)armies?
Upon whom does his (C)light not arise?
4 How then can man be (D)in the right before God?
How can he who is (E)born of woman be (F)pure?
5 Behold, even the moon is not bright,
and the stars are not pure in his eyes;
6 (G)how much less man, who is (H)a maggot,
and (I)the son of man, who is a worm!”
Footnotes
- Job 25:2 Hebrew him
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