Bildad’s Third Attack

Even the Stars Aren’t Perfect in God’s Eyes

25 1-6 Bildad the Shuhite again attacked Job:

“God is sovereign, God is fearsome—
    everything in the cosmos fits and works in his plan.
Can anyone count his angel armies?
    Is there any place where his light doesn’t shine?
How can a mere mortal presume to stand up to God?
    How can an ordinary person pretend to be guiltless?
Why, even the moon has its flaws,
    even the stars aren’t perfect in God’s eyes,
So how much less, plain men and women—
    slugs and maggots by comparison!”

Bildad Speaks

25 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:

Dominion and dread(A) belong to him,
the one who establishes harmony in his heights.
Can his troops be numbered?
Does his light not shine on everyone?
How can a human be justified before God?(B)
How can one born of woman be pure?(C)
If even the moon does not shine
and the stars are not pure in his sight,(D)
how much less a human, who is a maggot,
a son of man,[a] who is a worm!(E)

Footnotes

  1. 25:6 Or a mere mortal

25 Bildad the Shuchi said,

“Dominion and fear belong to him;
he makes peace in his high places.
Can his armies be numbered?
On whom does his light not shine?
How then can humans be righteous with God?
How can those born of women be clean?
Why, before him even the moon lacks brightness,
and the stars themselves are not pure.
How much less a human, who is merely a maggot,
a mortal, who is only a worm?!”