Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord.

“It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance;
A form was before my eyes;
There was silence, then I heard a voice:

‘Can mankind be just before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?

‘How much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
Whose foundation is in the dust,
Who are crushed before the moth!

“But as for me, I would seek God,
And I would place my cause before God;

“While it is still green and not cut down,
Yet it withers before any other plant.

“He thrives before the sun,
And his shoots spread out over his garden.

“In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?

“How then can I answer Him,
And choose my words before Him?

Before I go—and I shall not return—
To the land of darkness and deep shadow,

“Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.

“Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before His presence.

“Indeed, you do away with reverence
And hinder meditation before God.

“Were you the first man to be born,
Or were you brought forth before the hills?

“It will be accomplished before his time,
And his palm branch will not be green.

“He is torn from the security of his tent,
And they march him before the king of terrors.

“Their descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,

“Are they as straw before the wind,
And like chaff which the storm carries away?

“The clods of the valley will gently cover him;
Moreover, all men will follow after him,
While countless ones go before him.

Who were snatched away before their time,
Whose foundations were washed away by a river?

“I would present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.

“Naked is Sheol before Him,
And Abaddon has no covering.

“Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off the bridle before me.

But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram burned; against Job his anger burned because he justified himself before God.

“Refute me if you can;
Array yourselves before me, take your stand.

“For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.

“How much less when you say you do not behold Him,
The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

“No one is so fierce that he dares to arouse him;
Who then is he that can stand before Me?

“In his neck lodges strength,
And dismay leaps before him.

Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.