Tobit

Chapter 1

Under the full Sacred Name edit; every change logged. The edition's

footnotes stand as printed in their filed places.

1 The book of the story of Tobit(a) son of Tobiel, son of Ananiel, son of Aduel, son of Gabael, of the lineage of Asiel and tribe of Naphtali.

In the days of Shalmaneser(b) king of

2 Assyria, he was exiled from Thisbe, which is south of Kedesh-Naphtali in Upper Galilee, above Hazor, some distance to the west, north of Phogor.

I. TOBIT THE EXILE

3 I, Tobit, have walked in paths of truth and in righteousness all the days of my life. I have given much in alms to my brothers and fellow country-folk, exiled like me to Nineveh in

4 the country of Assyria.

In my young days, when I was still at home in the land of Israel, the whole tribe of Naphtali my ancestor broke away from the House of David and from Jerusalem, though this was the city chosen out of all the tribes of Israel for their sacrifices; here, the Temple – Yahweh's dwelling-place – had been built and hallowed for all

5 generations to come.

All my brothers and the House of Naphtali sacrificed on every hilltop in Galilee to the calf that Jeroboam king of Israel had made at Dan.

Often I was

6 quite alone in making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, fulfilling the Law that binds all Israel perpetually.(c) I would hurry to Jerusalem with the first yield of fruits and beasts, the tithe of cattle and the sheep's first shearings.

I would give these

7 to the priests, the sons of Aaron, for the altar. To the Levites ministering at Jerusalem I would give my tithe of wine and corn, olives, pomegranates and other fruits. Six years in succession I took the second tithe in silver and went and paid it annually at Jerusalem.

8 I gave the third to orphans and widows and to the strangers who live among the Israelites; I brought it to them as a gift every three years. When we ate, we obeyed both the ordinances of the Law of Moses and the exhortations of Deborah the mother of our ancestor Ananiel, for my father had died and left me an orphan.

9 When I became a man, I married a woman from our kinsfolk whose name was Anna; she bore me a son whom I called Tobias.

10 When the banishment into Assyria came, I was taken away and went to Nineveh. All my brothers and the people of my race ate the food of the gentiles,

but for my part

12 I was careful not to eat the food of the gentiles.

And because I had kept faith with my Elohim with my whole heart,

13 the Most High granted me the favour of Shalmaneser, and I

14 became the king's purveyor.

Until his death I used to travel to Media, where I transacted business on his behalf, and I deposited sacks of silver worth ten talents with Gabael the brother of Gabrias at Rhages in Media. On the death of Shalmaneser, his son Sennacherib succeeded;

15 the roads into Media were barred, and I could no longer go

16 there.

In the days of Shalmaneser I had often given alms to the people of my race;

I gave my bread to the hungry and

17 clothes to those who lacked them; and I buried, when I saw them, the bodies of my nation thrown over the walls of Nineveh.

I also buried any who were killed by Sennacherib.

18 When Sennacherib was beating a disorderly retreat from Judaea after the King of heaven had punished his blasphemies, he killed a great number of Israelites in his rage. So I stole their bodies to bury them; Sennacherib looked for them and could not find them.

A Ninevite went and told the king it was

19 I who had buried them secretly. When I knew that the king had been told about me and saw myself being hunted by men who would put me to death, I was afraid and fled.

All my goods

20 were seized; they were confiscated by the treasury; nothing was left me but my wife Anna and my son Tobias. Less than forty days after this, the king was murdered by his

21 two sons, who then fled to the mountains of Ararat. His son Esarhaddon succeeded. Ahikar(d) the son of my brother Anael, was appointed chancellor of the exchequer for the kingdom and

22 given the main ordering of affairs.

Ahikar then interceded for me and I was allowed to return to Nineveh, since Ahikar had been chief cupbearer, keeper of the signet-ring, administrator and treasurer under Sennacherib king of Assyria, and Esarhaddon had kept him in office. He was a relation of mine; he was my nephew.

Chapter 2

II. TOBIT IS BLINDED

1 In the reign of Esarhaddon, therefore, I returned home, and my wife Anna was restored to me with my son Tobias. At our feast of Pentecost (the feast of Weeks) there was a good dinner. I took my place for the meal;

the table was brought to me and various dishes were brought. I then said to my son

2 Tobias, 'Go, my child, and seek out some poor, loyal-hearted man among our brothers exiled in Nineveh, and bring him to share my meal. I will wait until you come back, my child.'

3 So Tobias went out to look for some poor man among our brothers, but he came back again and said, 'Father!' I replied, 'I am here, my child.' He went on, 'Father, one of our nation has just been murdered; he has been strangled and then thrown down in the marketplace; he is there still.'

I

4 sprang up at once, left my meal untouched, took the man from the marketplace and laid him in one of my

5 rooms, waiting until sunset to bury him.

I came in again and washed myself and ate my bread in sorrow,

remembering the

6 words of the prophet Amos concerning Bethel: 'I shall turn your festivals into mourning and all your singing into lamentation.'

7 And I wept.

When the sun was down, I went and dug a grave and buried him.

My neighbours laughed and said, 'See! He is

8 not afraid any more.' (For a price had been set on my head earlier for this very thing.) 'Once before he had to flee, yet here he is, beginning to bury the dead again!' That night I took a bath; then I went into the courtyard

9 and lay down by the courtyard wall. Since it was hot I left my face uncovered.

I did not know that there were sparrows in

10 the wall above my head; their hot droppings fell into my eyes.(a) This caused white spots to form, which I went to have treated by the doctors. But the more ointments they gave me, the more the spots blinded me, and in the end, I became completely blind. I remained without sight for four years; all my brothers were distressed on my behalf; and Ahikar provided for my upkeep for two years, until he left for Elymais. My wife Anna then undertook woman's work; she would spin

11 wool and take cloth to weave;(b)

she used to deliver whatever had been ordered from her and then receive payment. Now on the

12 seventh day of the month of Dystros, she finished a piece of work and delivered it to her customers. They paid her all that was due and, into the bargain, presented her with a kid for a

13 meal.

When the kid came into my house it began to bleat. I called to my wife and said, 'Where does this creature come from? Suppose it has been stolen! Let the owners have it back; we have no right to eat stolen goods.'

She said, 'No, it was

14 a present given me over and above my wages.' I did not believe her, and told her to give it back to the owners (I felt deeply ashamed of her). To which she replied, 'What about your own alms? What about your own good works? Everyone knows this about you.'

Chapter 3

1 Then, sad at heart, I sighed and wept, and groaning began this prayer:

2 'You are righteous, O Yahweh, and righteous are all your works. All your ways are grace and truth, and you are the Judge of the world.

3 Therefore, Yahweh, remember me, look on me. Do not punish me for my sins or for my faults of ignorance or for the faults which my ancestors committed against you.

4 For we have sinned against your commandments; and you have given us over to be plundered, to captivity and death, to be the talk, the laughing-stock and scorn of all the nations among whom you have dispersed us.

5 And now all your decrees are true when you deal with me as my faults and those of my ancestors deserve. For we have neither kept your commandments nor walked in truth before you.

6 So now do with me as you will; be pleased to take my life from me so that I may be delivered from the face of the earth and become earth again. Better death than life for me, for I have endured groundless insult and am in deepest sorrow. Yahweh, be pleased to deliver me from this affliction. Let me go away to my everlasting home; do not turn your face from me, O Yahweh. Better death for me than to see so much distress in my life and to listen to insults.'

III. SARAH

7 It chanced on the same day(a) that Sarah the daughter of Raguel, who lived in Media at Ecbatana, also heard insults

8 from one of her father's maids.

For she had been given in marriage seven times, and Asmodeus,(b) the wicked demon, had killed her bridegrooms one after another before ever they had slept with her as man with wife. The servant-girl said, 'Yes, you kill your bridegrooms yourself. That makes seven already to whom you have been given, and you have not borne the name of any of them.

Just because your bridegrooms have died, that

9 is no reason for punishing us. Go and join them, and may we never see a son or daughter of yours!' That day, she grieved, she sobbed, and she went up to her

10 father's room intending to hang herself. But then she thought again and said, 'Suppose they were to blame my father! They would say, "You had an only daughter whom you loved, and now she has hanged herself for grief."(c) I would bring down my father's old age to Hades in grief. I should do better not to hang myself, but to beg Yahweh to let me die and not live to hear any more insults.'

And at this, by the window, with

11 outstretched arms she said this prayer: 'You are blessed, O Elohim of mercy! May your name be blessed for ever, and may all things you have made bless you for ever.

12 And now I turn my face towards you and raise my eyes to you.

13 Command that I be delivered from earth and that I should no longer be insulted.

14 O Yahweh, you know that I have remained pure and free of any defilement with a man.

15 I have not dishonoured your name or my father's name in this land of exile. I am my father's only daughter, he has no other child as heir; he has no brother at his side, nor has he any kinsman left for whom I ought to keep myself. I have lost seven husbands already; why should I go on living? If it does not please you to take my life, then look on me with pity, and listen to me in my disgrace.'

16 At that moment the prayer of each of them was heard before

17 the glory of Yahweh,

and Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both. He was to take the white spots from the eyes of Tobit, so that he might see Yahweh's light with his own eyes; and he was to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel as bride to Tobias son of Tobit, and to rid her of Asmodeus, that wicked demon, for it was to Tobias before all other suitors that it fell to have her. Tobit came back from the courtyard into the house at the same moment as Sarah the daughter of Raguel came down from the upper room.

Chapter 4

IV. TOBIT'S NEST-EGG

1 That same day Tobit rememberedᵃ the silver he had left with Gabael at Rhages in Media

and thought, 'Here I am, at the point of praying for death; why don't I call my son Tobias and explain to him about this silver before I die?'

2 He summoned his son Tobias and when he came told him,ᵇ

3 'When I die, give me a fine burial. Honour your mother, and never abandon her all the days of your life. Do all that she wants, and give her no reason for sorrow.

4 Remember, my child, all the risks she ran for your sake when you were in her womb. And when she dies, bury her at my side in the same grave.

5 My child, remember Yahweh all your days. Do not willingly sin or transgress his laws. Do good works all the days of your life, never follow ways of unrighteousness;

6 for if you act in truthfulness, you will be successful in all your actions.

7 'Give alms from your possessions to all who practise righteousness and do not let your eye begrudge almsgiving. Never turn your face from the poor and Yahweh will never turn his from you.

8 Measure your alms by what you have; if you have much, give more; if you have little, do not be afraid to give less in alms.

9 So doing, you will lay up for yourself a great treasure for the day of necessity.

10 For almsgiving delivers from death and saves people from passing down to darkness.

11 Almsgiving is a good offering for all those who do it in the presence of the Most High.

12 'My child, avoid all loose conduct. Choose a wife of your father's stock. Do not take a foreign wife outside your father's tribe, because we are the children of the prophets. Remember Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our ancestors from the beginning. All of them took wives from their own kindred, and they were blessed in their children, and their race will inherit the earth.

13 And now, my child, you must love your own brothers and sisters; never presume to despise your brothers and sisters, the sons and daughters of your people; choose your wife from among them. For pride brings ruin and much worry; idleness causes need and poverty, for idleness is the mother of famine.

14 'Do not keep back until the next day the wages of those who work for you; pay them at once. If you serve Yahweh you will be rewarded. Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behaviour.

15 Do to no one what you would not want done to yourself. Do not drink wine to the point of drunkenness; do not let drunkenness be your travelling companion.

16 Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who lack clothing. Of whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving;

17 and when you give alms, do it ungrudgingly.

Be generous with bread and wine on the graves of righteous people, but do not give to sinners.

18 Ask advice of every wise person; never scorn any profitable advice.

19 Bless Yahweh Elohim in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end. For wisdom is not the property of every nation; their desire for what is good is conferred by Yahweh. At his will he lifts up or he casts down to the depths of Hades. So now, my child, remember these precepts and never let them be erased from your heart.

20 'Now, my child, I must tell you I have left ten talents of silver in trust with Gabael son of Gabrias, at Rhages in Media.

21 Do not be afraid, my child, if we have grown poor. You have great wealth if you fear Yahweh, if you shun every kind of sin and if you do what is pleasing to Yahweh your Elohim.'

Chapter 5

V. RAPHAEL

1 Tobias then replied to his father Tobit, 'Father, I shall do everything you have told me.

2 But how am I to recover the silver from him? He does not know me, nor I him. What token am I to give for him to believe me and hand the silver over to me? And besides, I do not know what roads to take for this journey into Media.'

3 Then Tobit answered his son Tobias, 'Each of us set his signature to a note which I cut in two, we each took one piece, and I put one with the silver. It was twenty years ago I left this silver in his keeping! And now, my child, find a trustworthy travelling companion – we shall pay him for his time until you get back – and then go and collect the silver from Gabael.'

4 Tobias went out to look for a man to go with him to Media, someone who knew the way. Outside he found Raphael the angel standing in front of him, though he did not realise he was an angel of Yahweh.

5 He said, 'Where do you come from, young man?' The angel replied, 'I am one of your fellow Israelites; I have come to these parts to get work.' Tobias asked, 'Do you know the road to Media?'

6 The other replied, 'Yes, I have been there many times; I have knowledge and experience of all the ways. I have often been to Media and stayed with Gabael one of our kinsmen who lives at Rhages in Media. It is a two-day journey from Ecbatana to Rhages, for they are in the mountains.'ᵃ

7 Tobias said, 'Wait for me, young man, while I go in and tell my father; I need you to come with me; I shall give you your wages.'

8 The other replied, 'Good, I shall wait; but don't be long.'

9 Tobias went in and told his father, 'I have found one of our fellow Israelites.' And the father said, 'Call him in to me so that I can find out about his family and tribe and whether he is a reliable travelling companion for you, my child.' So Tobias went out and called him, saying to him, 'Young man, my father wants you.'

10 The angel came into the house; Tobit greeted him first, and the other answered, wishing him happiness in plenty. Tobit replied, 'What is there for me to be happy about? I am a blind man; I cannot see the light of heaven; I am sunk in darkness like the dead who see the light no more. I am a man buried alive; I hear people speak but cannot see them.'

11 The angel said, 'Cheer up! Yahweh's healing is near enough. Cheer up!' Tobit said, 'My son Tobias wishes to go to Media. Will you join him and guide him? Brother, I will pay you.' He replied, 'I can go with him; I know all the roads; I have often been to Media. I have crossed all its plains and mountains, and I know all its roads.'

12 Tobit said, 'Brother, what family and what tribe do you belong to? Explain to me, brother.'

The angel said, 'Why do youᵇ need to know my tribe?' Tobit said, 'I want to be quite sure whose son you are and what your name is.'

13 The angel said, 'I am Azariah, son of the great Ananias, one of your kinsmen.'

14 He said to him, 'Welcome and greetings, brother! Do not be offended at my wanting to know the name of your family; you are my kinsman of a good and honourable line. I know Ananias and Nathan, the two sons of the great Shemaiah. They used to go to Jerusalem with me; we have worshipped together there and they have never strayed from the right path. Your brothers are worthy men; you come of good stock; welcome.'

15 He went on, 'I engage you at a drachma a day, with the same expenses as my own son's. Complete the journey with my son

16 and I shall go beyond the agreed wage.'

17 The angel replied, 'I shall complete the journey with him. Do not be afraid. On the journey outward all will be well; on the journey back all will be well; the road is safe.' Tobit said, 'Blessings on you, brother!' Then he turned to his son and said, 'My child, get ready what you need for the journey, and set off with your brother. May Yahweh in heaven protect you there and bring you both back to me safe and sound! May his angel go with you and protect you, my child!' Tobias left the house to set out and kissed his father and

18 mother. Tobit said, 'Safe journey!'

His mother burst into tears and said to Tobit, 'Why are you sending my child away? Is he not the staff of our hands, as he goes about before us?

19 Do not heap silver on silver. Do not let it be a ransom for our child.

20 The way of life Yahweh had already given us is good enough.'

21 He said, 'Do not speak of it! Going away and coming back, all will be well with our child. You will see for yourself when he comes back safe and sound! Do not think such thoughts; do not worry on their account, my sister.ᶜ

22 A good angel will go with him;ᵈ he will have a good journey and come back to us well and happy.'

Chapter 6

1 So she stopped crying.

VI. THE FISH

2 The boy left with the angel, and the dog came out and set off with them. The two walked on, and when the first evening came they camped beside the Tigris.

3 The boy had gone down to the river to wash his feet, when a great fish leapt out of the water and tried to swallow his foot.ᵃ The boy gave a

4 shout

and the angel said, 'Catch the fish; do not let go.' The boy mastered

5 the fish and pulled it onto the bank.

The angel said, 'Cut it open; take out gall, heart and liver; set these aside and throw the entrails away, for gall and

6 heart and liver have curative properties.'

The boy cut open the fish and took out gall and heart and liver. He fried part of the fish for his meal and kept some for salting. Then they walked on again together until they were approaching Media.

7 Then the boy asked the angel this question, 'Brother Azariah, what is

8 the medicinal property of the fish's heart, liver and gall?'

He replied, 'You burn the fish's heart and liver, and their smoke is used in the case of a man or woman plagued by a demon or evil spirit; any such affliction disappears for

9 good, leaving no trace.

As regards the gall, this is used as an eye ointment for anyone having white spots on his eyes; after using it, you have only to blow on the spots to cure them.'

10 They had entered Media and had nearly reached Ecbatana

11 when Raphael said to the boy, 'Brother Tobias.' He replied, 'Here I am.' The angel went on, 'Tonight we are to stay with Raguel, who is a kinsman of yours. He

12 has a daughter called Sarah,ᵇ

but apart from Sarah he has no other son or daughter. Now you are her next of kin; she belongs to you before anyone else and you may claim her father's inheritance. She is a thoughtful, courageous

13 and very lovely girl, and her father is a good man.

You have the right to marry her. Listen, brother; this very evening I shall speak about the girl to her father and arrange for her to be betrothed to you, and when we come back from Rhages we can celebrate the marriage. I assure you, Raguel has no right whatever to refuse you or to betroth you to anyone else. That would be asking for death, as prescribed in the Book of Moses, once he is aware that kinship gives you the pre-eminent right to marry his daughter. So listen, brother. This very evening we shall speak about the girl and ask for her hand in marriage. When we come back from Rhages we shall fetch her and take her home with us.'

14 Tobias replied to Raphael, 'Brother Azariah, I have been told that she has already been given in marriage seven times and that each time her bridegroom has died in the bridal room. He died the same night as he entered her room;

15 and I have heard people say it was a demon that killed them,

and this makes me afraid. To her the demon does no harm, but as soon as a man tries to approach her, the demon kills him. I am my father's only son, and I have no

16 wish to die. I do not want to bring my father and mother to their grave in sorrow; they have no other son to bury them.'

The angel said, 'Have you forgotten your father's instructions, when he instructed you to choose a wife from your father's family? Listen then, brother. Do not worry about the demon; take her. This very evening, I promise, she will be given you as your

17 wife.

Then once you are in the bridal room, take the heart and liver of the fish and put a little of it on the incense-burner. The odour will spread,

18 the demon will smell it and flee, and there is no danger that he will ever be found near the girl again. Then, before you sleep together, first stand up, both of you, and pray. Ask Yahweh of heaven to grant you his grace and protection. Do not be afraid; she was destined for you from the beginning, and you are the one to save her. She will follow you, and I pledge my word she will give you children who will be like brothers to you. Don't worry!' And when Tobias heard Raphael say this, when he understood that Sarah was his sister, a kinswoman of his father's family, he fell so deeply in love with her that his heart was coupled with hers.

Chapter 7

VII. RAGUEL

1 As they entered Ecbatana, Tobias said, 'Brother Azariah, take me at once to our brother Raguel's.' And he showed him the way to the house of Raguel, whom they found sitting beside his courtyard door. They greeted him first, and he replied, 'Welcome and greetings, brothers.' And he took

2 them into his house.

He said to his wife Edna, 'How like my brother Tobit

3 this young man is!'

Edna asked them where they came from; they said, 'We belong to the descendants of Naphtali exiled in Nineveh.'

She said

4 to them, 'Do you know our brother Tobit?' And they said to her, 'We do

5 know him.' She said, 'Is he well?'

They said, 'He is alive and well.'

And

6 Tobias added, 'He is my father.'

Raguel leapt to his feet and kissed him and

7 wept.

Then he spoke to him saying, 'Blessings on you, child! You are the son of a good and noble father. How sad it is that someone so righteous and full of good deeds should have gone blind!'ᵇ He threw his arms round the neck of his kinsman Tobias and wept.

8 And his wife Edna wept too, and so did his daughter Sarah. Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock, and they gave them a warm welcome.

9 They washed and bathed and came to the table. Then Tobias said

10 to Raphael, 'Brother Azariah, will you ask Raguel to give me my sister Sarah?'

Raguel overheard the words, and said to the young man, 'Eat and drink, and make the most of your evening; no one else has the right to take my daughter Sarah – no one but you, my brother. In any case, I am not at liberty to give her to anyone else, since you are her next of kin. However, my

11 boy, I must be frank with you:

I have given her to seven of our kinsmen, and all of them have died the first evening, on going to her room. But for the

12 present, my boy, eat and drink; Yahweh will look after you.'

Tobias spoke out, 'I will not hear of eating and drinking till you have come to a decision about me.' Raguel answered, 'Very well. Since by the prescription of the Book of Moses she is given to you, Heaven itself decrees she shall be yours. I therefore entrust your sister to you. From now on you are her brother and

13 she is yours. She is given to you from today for ever. Yahweh of heaven favour you tonight, my child, and grant you his grace and peace.'

Raguel

14 called for his daughter Sarah, took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias with these words, 'I entrust her to you; the Law and the ruling recorded in the Book of Moses assign her to you as your wife. Take her; bring her home safe and sound to your father's house. The Elohim of heaven grant you a good

15 journey in peace.'

Then he turned to her mother and asked her to fetch him writing paper. He drew up the marriage contract, and so he gave his daughter as bride to Tobias according to the ordinance of the Law of Moses.

16 After this they began to eat and drink.

Raguel called his wife Edna and said, 'My sister, prepare the second room and take her there.'

She went and made the bed in this room as he had ordered, and took her daughter to it. She wept over her, then wiped away her tears and said, 'Courage, daughter! May Yahweh of heaven turn your grief to joy! Courage, daughter!' And she went out.

Chapter 8

VIII. THE GRAVE

1 When they had finished eating and drinking they wanted to go to bed,

2 and the young man was taken from the dining room to the bedroom. Tobias remembered Raphael's advice; he went to his bag, took the fish's heart

3 and liver out of it and put some on the incense-burner.

The odour of the fish distressed the demon, who fled through the air to Egypt. Raphael pursued

4 him there, shackled him and strangled him forthwith.

When the parents had gone out and shut the door behind them, Tobias rose from the bed, and

5 said to Sarah, 'Get up, my sister! You and I must pray and petition Yahweh to win his grace and protection.'

She stood up, and they began praying for protection; and this was how he began: 'You are blessed, O Elohim of our fathers, and blessed is your name for all generations and for ever. Let the heavens bless you and all things you have made for evermore.

6 You created Adam, you created Eve his wife to be his help and support; and from these two the human race was born. You said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make him a helper like himself."'

7 'And so I take this sister of mine not from any lustful motive, but in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together.'

8 And together they said, 'Amen, Amen,'

and lay down for the night.

9 But Raguel got up and called his servants, and they went off and dug a

10 grave.

For he thought, 'May he not die, to make us a laughing stock and a

11 disgrace.'ᵃ

When they had finished digging the grave, Raguel went back to

12 the house and called his wife,

saying, 'Will you send a maid to the room to go in and see if Tobias is still alive? For if he is dead, we may be able

13 to bury him without anyone else knowing.'

They sent the maid, lit the lamp, opened the door and the maid went in. She found the two fast asleep

14 together;

she came out again and indicated, 'He is not dead; all is well.'

15 Then Raguel blessed the Elohim of heaven with these words: 'You are blessed, my Elohim, with every pure blessing; may you be blessed for evermore!

16 You are blessed for having made me glad. What has happened is not what I feared; instead you have shown us your boundless mercy.

17 You are blessed for taking pity on two only children. Grant them, my Elohim, your mercy and your protection; let them live out their lives in happiness and in mercy.'

18 And he told his servants to fill the grave in before dawn broke.

He told his

19 wife to make plenty of bread; he went to his flock, brought back two oxen and four sheep and gave orders for them to be cooked; and preparations

20 began.

He called Tobias and said, 'You are not leaving here for fourteen days. You are to stay where you are, eating and drinking with me. You will

21 make my daughter happy again after all her troubles.

After that, take away a half of all I have, and take it safe and sound back to your father. When my wife and I are dead you shall have the other half. Courage, my boy! I am your father, and Edna is your mother. We are your parents in future, as we are your sister's. Courage, my son!'

Chapter 9

IX. THE WEDDING FEAST

1 Then Tobias turned to Raphael and said to him,

2 'Brother Azariah, take four servants and two camels and leave for Rhages.

3 Go to Gabael's house, give him the receipt and get the silver and bring him with you to the

4 wedding feast.

You know that my father must be counting the days and that

5 I cannot lose a single one without worrying him.

You see what Raguel has pledged himself to do; I am bound by his oath.' So Raphael left for Rhages in Media with the four servants and two camels. They stayed with Gabael, and Raphael showed him the receipt. He explained to him about Tobias, son of Tobit, that he had taken a wife, and had invited him to the wedding. Gabael counted out the bags to him – the seals were intact – and they loaded them on to the camels.

6 Early in the morning they set off together for the feast, and reached Raguel's house where they found Tobias at table. He sprang up to greet Gabael who burst into tears and blessed him with the words, 'Fine and excellent son of a fine and excellent, righteous and generous father! Yahweh give heaven's blessing to you, to your wife's father and mother! Blessed be Yahweh for granting me the sight of this living image of my cousin Tobit!'

Chapter 10

1 Every day, meanwhile, Tobit kept reckoning the days required for the journey there and the journey back. The full number went by, and

2 still his son had not come.

Then he thought, 'Is it possible that he has been delayed there, or that Gabael is dead, so that there is no one to give him

3 the silver?'

and he began to worry.

4 His wife Anna kept saying, 'My son is dead! He is no longer among the living!' And she began to weep and mourn

5 for her son, saying,

6 'Alas! I should never have let you leave me, my child, you, the light of my eyes.'ᵃ

And Tobit would reply, 'Hush, my sister! Do not worry. All is well with him. Something has happened there to delay them. His companion is someone we can trust, one of our kinsmen at that. Do not

7 lose heart, my sister.

He will soon be here.' But all she would say was, 'Leave me alone; do not try to deceive me. My child is no more.' And every day she would hurry out to watch the road by which her son had left. She trusted no eyes but her own. Once the sun had set she would come home again, only to weep and moan all night, unable to sleep.

8 After the fourteen days of the wedding that Raguel had sworn to keep for his daughter's marriage, Tobias came to him and said, 'Let me go now; I know that my father and mother must have lost all hope of seeing me again. So I beg you, father, to let me return to my father's house; I have already

9 explained to you how I left him.'

But Raguel said to Tobias, 'Stay, my son,

10 stay with me. I shall send messengers to your father Tobit to give him news of

11 you.'

But Tobias pressed him, 'No, I beg you to let me go back to my father's house.'

So without more ado, Raguel committed Sarah his bride into his keeping. He gave Tobias half his wealth, slaves, men and women, oxen and sheep, donkeys and camels, clothes and silver and household goods.

And so he let them leave in good condition. He embraced Tobias and said to him, 'Good health, my son, and a happy journey! May Yahweh of heaven be gracious to you and to your wife Sarah! I hope to see your children before

12 …I die.'

To his daughter Sarah he said, 'Go now to your father-in-law's house, since from now on they are as much your parents as those who gave you life. Go in peace, my daughter; I hope to hear nothing but good of you, as long as I live.' With a final greeting he let them go. Edna in her turn said to Tobias, 'Dear son and brother, may it please Yahweh to bring you back again! I hope to live long enough to see the children of you and my daughter Sarah before I die. In the sight of Yahweh I entrust my daughter to your keeping. Never make her unhappy as long as you live. Go in peace, my son. From now on I am your mother and Sarah is your sister. May we all live happily for the rest of our lives!' And she kissed them both and saw them set out in good condition.

13 Tobias left Raguel's house with his mind at ease. In his gladness he blessed Yahweh of heaven and earth, the King of all that is, for making his journey a success. He gave this blessing to Raguel and his wife Edna, 'May it be my happiness to honour you for the rest of my life!'

Chapter 11

X. TOBIT'S SIGHT RESTORED

1 As they were approaching Kaserin, opposite Nineveh,

Raphael said, 'You know how we left your father;

let us

2 go on ahead of your wife and prepare the house ourselves

3 while they are still on the way.'

The two of them went on

4 together (Raphael warned Tobias to take the gall with him) and the dog followed them.

5 Anna was sitting, watching the road by which her son

6 would come.

She was sure at once it must be he and said

7 to the father, 'Here comes your son, with his companion.'

Before Tobias reached his father Raphael said to him, 'I

8 know that your father's eyes will open. Smear the fish's gall on his eyes; the medicine will smart and will draw a filmy white skin off his eyes. And your father will regain his sight and be able to see the light.'

9 Anna ran forward, threw her arms round her son's neck and

10 said, 'Now I can die; I have seen you again.' And she

11 wept.

Tobit rose to his feet and stumbled across the courtyard through the door.

Tobias came on towards him, with the fish's gall in his hand. He blew into his eyes and said, steadying him, 'Take courage, father!' With this he applied the medicine, left it there a while,

then with

12 both hands peeled away a filmy skin from the corners of

13 his eyes.

Then his father threw his arms round him and wept.

He exclaimed, 'I can see you, my son, the light of my eyes!' And he said: 'Blessed be Yahweh! Blessed be his great name! Blessed be all his holy angels! Blessed be his great name for evermore! May his great name be upon us, and blessed be all his angels for all ages! For he afflicted me,

15 but now I see my son Tobias!' 15 Tobias went indoors, joyfully blessing Yahweh at the top of his voice. Then he told his father everything; how his journey had been successful and he had brought back the

16 silver; how he had married Sarah the daughter of Raguel; how she was now following him, close behind, and could not be far from the gates of Nineveh.

17 Tobit set off to the gates of Nineveh to meet his daughter-in-law, giving joyful praise to Yahweh as he went. When the people of Nineveh saw him walking without a guide and stepping forward as briskly as of old, they were

18 astonished.

Tobit described to them face to face how Yahweh had taken pity on him and had opened his eyes. Then Tobit met Sarah the bride of his son Tobias, and blessed her in these words, 'Welcome, daughter! Blessed be your Elohim for sending you to us, my daughter. Blessings on your father, blessings on my son Tobias, blessings on yourself, my daughter. Welcome now to your home in joy and blessedness. Come in, my daughter.' That day brought joy to the Jews of Nineveh,

and his cousins Ahikar and Nadab came to share in Tobit's happiness.

Chapter 12

XI. THE REVELATION

1 When the wedding feast was over, Tobit called his son Tobias and said to him, 'My son, see to paying the wages

2 due to your fellow traveller; give him more than the figure agreed on.'

He replied, 'Father, how much should I

3 give him for his help? It would not hurt to give him half the goods he brought back with me.

He has brought me back

4 safe and sound, he has cured my wife, he has brought the silver back too, and now he has cured you as well. How

5 much should I give him for all this?'

Tobit said, 'He has richly earned half what he brought back.'

So Tobias called his companion and said, 'Take half of what you brought back, in payment for all you have done, and go in

6 peace.' Then Raphael took them both aside and said, 'Bless Yahweh,

7 utter his praise before all the living for the favour he has shown you. Bless and extol his name. Proclaim before all people the deeds of Yahweh as they deserve, and never tire of giving him thanks.

It is right to keep the secret

8 of a king, yet right to reveal and publish the works of Yahweh as they deserve. Do what is good, and no evil can

9 befall you.

Prayer with fasting and alms with righteousness are better than riches with iniquity. Better

10 to practise almsgiving than to hoard up gold.

Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who

11 give alms have their fill of days;

those who commit sin and do evil bring harm on themselves.

12 'I will now tell you the whole truth, hiding nothing from you. I have already told you that it is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right too to reveal in a worthy

13 way the words of Yahweh.

So now, when you and Sarah were at prayer, it was I who offered the record of your supplications before the glory of Yahweh; so too when you were burying the dead.

When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your meal to go and bury a dead man, I

15 did not fail to notice your good work, but I was with you;

and now Yahweh sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.

I am Raphael, one of the [...] 15 …seven* angels who offer the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of Yahweh.'

16 They were both overwhelmed with awe; they fell on their

17 faces, for they were afraid.

But the angel said, 'Do not

18 be afraid; peace shall be with you. Bless Yahweh for ever.

I came not out of my own love but by the will of our Elohim.

19 So praise him for ever.

All the time I was visible to you I neither ate nor drank, and you were seeing an

20 appearance and no more.

Now bless Yahweh on earth and give thanks to Yahweh. I am about to return to him who sent

21 me. Write down on a scroll all that has happened.' When they stood up again, he was no longer visible. They acknowledged Yahweh for the great and wonderful works when the angel of Yahweh had been visible to them.

Chapter 13

XII. TOBIT'S PRAYER

1 And Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing and he said:(a) 'Blessed be Yahweh who lives for ever, for his reign endures throughout all ages!

2 For he both punishes and pardons; he sends people down to Hades and draws them up; no one can escape his hand.

3 Declare his praise before the nations, O children of Israel! For he has scattered you among them;

4 there too he has shown you his greatness. Extol him before all the living: he is our Yahweh and our Elohim; he is our Father, and he is Yahweh for ever and ever.

5 Though he punishes you for your iniquities, he will in turn take pity on you all; he will gather you from every nation wherever you have been scattered.

6 If you return to him with all your heart, and with all your soul live the truth before him, then he will return to you and hide his face from you no longer.

7 Consider how well he has treated you; acknowledge him with your full voice. Bless Yahweh of righteousness and extol the King of the ages.(b)

8 In the land of my exile I acknowledge him, I make his power and greatness known to a nation of sinners. Sinners, return to him; do what is righteous before him; who knows if he will be gracious to you and take pity on you?

9 I for my part extol Yahweh and my soul rejoices in the King of heaven.

10 Let his greatness be on every tongue, his praises be sung in Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Holy City,

11 Yahweh will scourge you for the deeds of your children but will again have mercy on the children of the righteous. Thank Yahweh as he deserves and bless the King of the ages,

12 that your Tent within you may be rebuilt with joy; that within you he may comfort every exile, and within you he may love all those who are distressed, for all generations and every age.

13 A bright light will shine to all the ends of the earth; many nations will come to you from far away, inhabitants from all the ends of the earth to your holy name, with gifts in their hands for the King of heaven. Within you, generation after generation will proclaim their joy, and the name of the chosen city will endure for generations to come.

14 Cursed be any who speak a harsh word against you, cursed be any who destroy you, who throw down your walls, who raze your towers, who burn your houses!

15 Eternally blessed be all who revere you! Go forth, then, exult, and rejoice over the children of the righteous, for they will all have been gathered in and will bless Yahweh of the ages. Blessed will be those who love you,

16 blessed those who rejoice over your peace, blessed those who have mourned over all your punishment! For they will soon rejoice within you, witness all your blessedness in days to come.

17 My soul blesses Yahweh, the great King, because Jerusalem will be built anew and his house for ever and ever. Blessed shall I be, if a remnant of my family be left to see your glory and praise the King of heaven! The gates of Jerusalem will be built of sapphire and of emerald, and all your walls of precious stone,

18 the towers of Jerusalem will be built of gold and their battlements of pure gold. The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with ruby and with stones from Ophir; the gates of Jerusalem will resound with songs of exultation, and all her houses will say, "Alleluia! Blessed be the Elohim of Israel." Within you they will bless the holy name for ever and ever.'

Chapter 14

1 So end Tobit's songs of praise.

XIII. NINEVEH

2 Tobit died in peace when he was one hundred and twelve years old and received an honourable burial in Nineveh. He had been sixty-two when he went blind; and after his cure he lived in comfort, practising almsgiving and continually praising Yahweh and extolling his greatness.

3 When he was at the point of death he summoned his son

4 Tobias and gave him these instructions, '

My son, take your children and hurry away to Media, for I believe the word of Yahweh pronounced over Nineveh by Nahum. Everything will come true, everything will happen that the emissaries of Yahweh, the prophets of Israel, have predicted against Assyria and Nineveh; not one of their words will prove empty. It will all take place in due time. You will be safer in Media than in Assyria or in Babylon. Since I for my part know and believe that everything Yahweh has said will come true; so it will be, and not a word of the prophecies will fail. Our brothers living in the land of Israel will be scattered and taken as captives far from their own fair country. The entire territory of Israel will become a desert, and Samaria and Jerusalem will become a desert, and the house of Yahweh for

5 a time will be laid waste and burnt.

Then once again Yahweh will take pity on them and bring them back to the land of Israel. They will rebuild his house, although it will be less beautiful than the first, until the time is fulfilled. But after this, all will return from captivity and rebuild Jerusalem worthily, and the house of Yahweh will be rebuilt within her — the prophets of Israel have

6 foretold.

And all the people of the whole earth will be converted and will reverence Yahweh with all sincerity. All will renounce their false gods who have led them astray

7 into error,

and will bless the Elohim of ages in righteousness. All the Israelites spared in those days will remember Yahweh in sincerity of heart. They will come and gather in Jerusalem and thereafter dwell securely in the land of Abraham, which will be theirs. And those who love Yahweh in all sincerity will rejoice, and those who sin and work injustice will vanish from the earth.

8 'And now, my children, I lay this duty on you; serve Yahweh sincerely, and do what is pleasing to him. And lay on your children the obligation to behave righteously, to give alms, to keep Yahweh in mind and to bless his name on every occasion, sincerely and with all their might.

9 So then, my son, leave Nineveh, do not stay here.

As

10 soon as you have buried your mother next to me, go the same day, whenever it may be, and do not linger within its frontiers, where I see wickedness and perfidy unashamed. Consider, my child, all the things done by Nadab to his foster-father Ahikar. Was not Ahikar put into the earth when he was still alive? But Yahweh made the criminal pay for his outrage before his victim's eyes, since Ahikar came back to the light of day, while Nadab went down to everlasting darkness for plotting against Ahikar's life. Because of his good works Ahikar escaped the deadly snare Nadab had laid for him, and Nadab fell

11 into it to his own ruin.

So, my children, you see what comes of almsgiving, and what wickedness leads to, I mean to death. But now breath fails me.' They laid him back on his bed; he died and was buried with honour.

12 When his mother died, Tobias buried her beside his father. Then he left for Media with his wife and children. He lived in Ecbatana with Raguel, his

13 father-in-law.

He treated the ageing parents of his wife with every care and respect, and later buried them in Ecbatana in Media. Tobias inherited the patrimony of

14 Raguel besides that of his father Tobit.

Much honoured,

15 he lived to the age of one hundred and seventeen years.

Before he died he witnessed the ruin of Nineveh. He saw the Ninevites taken prisoner and deported to Media by Cyaxares king of Media. He blessed Yahweh for everything he inflicted on the Ninevites and Assyrians. Before his death he rejoiced over Nineveh, and he blessed Yahweh Elohim for ever and ever.