1: The book of the words of Tobit, son of Tobiel, the son of Ananiel,
the son of Aduel, the son of Gabael, of the seed of Asael, of the tribe of
Nephthali;
2: Who in the time of Enemessar king of the Assyrians was
led captive out of Thisbe, which is at the right hand of that city, which is
called properly Nephthali in Galilee above Aser.
3: I Tobit have
walked all the days of my life in the ways of truth and justice, and I did many
almsdeeds to my brethren, and my nation, who came with me to Nineve, into the
land of the Assyrians.
4: And when I was in mine own country, in the
land of Israel being but young, all the tribe of Nephthali my father fell from
the house of Jerusalem, which was chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, that
all the tribes should sacrifice there, where the temple of the habitation of the
most High was consecrated and built for all ages.
5: Now all the
tribes which together revolted, and the house of my father Nephthali, sacrificed
unto the heifer Baal.
6: But I alone went often to Jerusalem at the
feasts, as it was ordained unto all the people of Israel by an everlasting
decree, having the firstfruits and tenths of increase, with that which was first
shorn; and them gave I at the altar to the priests the children of Aaron.
7: The first tenth part of all increase I gave to the sons of Aaron,
who ministered at Jerusalem: another tenth part I sold away, and went, and spent
it every year at Jerusalem:
8: And the third I gave unto them to whom
it was meet, as Debora my father's mother had commanded me, because I was left
an orphan by my father.
9: Furthermore, when I was come to the age of
a man, I married Anna of mine own kindred, and of her I begat Tobias.
10: And when we were carried away captives to Nineve, all my brethren
and those that were of my kindred did eat of the bread of the Gentiles.
11: But I kept myself from eating;
12: Because I
remembered God with all my heart.
13: And the most High gave me grace
and favour before Enemessar, so that I was his purveyor.
14: And I
went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the brother of Gabrias, at Rages
a city of Media ten talents of silver.
15: Now when Enemessar was
dead, Sennacherib his son reigned in his stead; whose estate was troubled, that
I could not go into Media.
16: And in the time of Enemessar I gave
many alms to my brethren, and gave my bread to the hungry,
17: And my
clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation dead, or cast about the
walls of Nineve, I buried him.
18: And if the king Sennacherib had
slain any, when he was come, and fled from Judea, I buried them privily; for in
his wrath he killed many; but the bodies were not found, when they were sought
for of the king.
19: And when one of the Ninevites went and
complained of me to the king, that I buried them, and hid myself; understanding
that I was sought for to be put to death, I withdrew myself for fear.
20: Then all my goods were forcibly taken away, neither was there any
thing left me, beside my wife Anna and my son Tobias.
21: And there
passed not five and fifty days, before two of his sons killed him, and they fled
into the mountains of Ararath; and Sarchedonus his son reigned in his stead; who
appointed over his father's accounts, and over all his affairs, Achiacharus my
brother Anael's son.
22: And Achiacharus intreating for me, I
returned to Nineve. Now Achiacharus was cupbearer, and keeper of the signet, and
steward, and overseer of the accounts: and Sarchedonus appointed him next unto
him: and he was my brother's son.
Chapter Tob.2
1: Now when I was come home again, and my wife Anna was restored unto me,
with my son Tobias, in the feast of Pentecost, which is the holy feast of the
seven weeks, there was a good dinner prepared me, in the which I sat down to
eat.
2: And when I saw abundance of meat, I said to my son, Go and
bring what poor man soever thou shalt find out of our brethren, who is mindful
of the Lord; and, lo, I tarry for thee.
3: But he came again, and
said, Father, one of our nation is strangled, and is cast out in the
marketplace.
4: Then before I had tasted of any meat, I started up,
and took him up into a room until the going down of the sun.
5: Then
I returned, and washed myself, and ate my meat in heaviness,
6:
Remembering that prophecy of Amos, as he said, Your feasts shall be turned into
mourning, and all your mirth into lamentation.
7: Therefore I wept:
and after the going down of the sun I went and made a grave, and buried him.
8: But my neighbours mocked me, and said, This man is not yet afraid
to be put to death for this matter: who fled away; and yet, lo, he burieth the
dead again.
9: The same night also I returned from the burial, and
slept by the wall of my courtyard, being polluted and my face was uncovered:
10: And I knew not that there were sparrows in the wall, and mine
eyes being open, the sparrows muted warm dung into mine eyes, and a whiteness
came in mine eyes: and I went to the physicians, but they helped me not:
moreover Achiacharus did nourish me, until I went into Elymais.
11:
And my wife Anna did take women's works to do.
12: And when she had
sent them home to the owners, they paid her wages, and gave her also besides a
kid.
13: And when it was in my house, and began to cry, I said unto
her, From whence is this kid? is it not stolen? render it to the owners; for it
is not lawful to eat any thing that is stolen.
14: But she replied
upon me, It was given for a gift more than the wages. Howbeit I did not believe
her, but bade her render it to the owners: and I was abashed at her. But she
replied upon me, Where are thine alms and thy righteous deeds? behold, thou and
all thy works are known.
Chapter Tob.3
1: Then I being grieved did weep, and in my sorrow prayed, saying,
2: O Lord, thou art just, and all thy works and all thy ways are
mercy and truth, and thou judgest truly and justly for ever.
3:
Remember me, and look on me, punish me not for my sins and ignorances, and the
sins of my fathers, who have sinned before thee:
4: For they obeyed
not thy commandments: wherefore thou hast delivered us for a spoil, and unto
captivity, and unto death, and for a proverb of reproach to all the nations
among whom we are dispersed.
5: And now thy judgments are many and
true: deal with me according to my sins and my fathers': because we have not
kept thy commandments, neither have walked in truth before thee.
6:
Now therefore deal with me as seemeth best unto thee, and command my spirit to
be taken from me, that I may be dissolved, and become earth: for it is
profitable for me to die rather than to live, because I have heard false
reproaches, and have much sorrow: command therefore that I may now be delivered
out of this distress, and go into the everlasting place: turn not thy face away
from me.
7: It came to pass the same day, that in Ecbatane a city of
Media Sara the daughter of Raguel was also reproached by her father's maids;
8: Because that she had been married to seven husbands, whom Asmodeus
the evil spirit had killed, before they had lain with her. Dost thou not know,
said they, that thou hast strangled thine husbands? thou hast had already seven
husbands, neither wast thou named after any of them.
9: Wherefore
dost thou beat us for them? if they be dead, go thy ways after them, let us
never see of thee either son or daughter.
10: Whe she heard these
things, she was very sorrowful, so that she thought to have strangled herself;
and she said, I am the only daughter of my father, and if I do this, it shall be
a reproach unto him, and I shall bring his old age with sorrow unto the grave.
11: Then she prayed toward the window, and said, Blessed art thou, O
Lord my God, and thine holy and glorious name is blessed and honourable for
ever: let all thy works praise thee for ever.
12: And now, O Lord, I
set I mine eyes and my face toward thee,
13: And say, Take me out of
the earth, that I may hear no more the reproach.
14: Thou knowest,
Lord, that I am pure from all sin with man,
15: And that I never
polluted my name, nor the name of my father, in the land of my captivity: I am
the only daughter of my father, neither hath he any child to be his heir,
neither any near kinsman, nor any son of his alive, to whom I may keep myself
for a wife: my seven husbands are already dead; and why should I live? but if it
please not thee that I should die, command some regard to be had of me, and pity
taken of me, that I hear no more reproach.
16: So the prayers of them
both were heard before the majesty of the great God.
17: And Raphael
was sent to heal them both, that is, to scale away the whiteness of Tobit's
eyes, and to give Sara the daughter of Raguel for a wife to Tobias the son of
Tobit; and to bind Asmodeus the evil spirit; because she belonged to Tobias by
right of inheritance. The selfsame time came Tobit home, and entered into his
house, and Sara the daughter of Raguel came down from her upper chamber.
Chapter Tob.4
1: In that day Tobit remembered the money which he had committed to
Gabael in Rages of Media,
2: And said with himself, I have wished for
death; wherefore do I not call for my son Tobias that I may signify to him of
the money before I die?
3: And when he had called him, he said, My
son, when I am dead, bury me; and despise not thy mother, but honour her all the
days of thy life, and do that which shall please her, and grieve her not.
4: Remember, my son, that she saw many dangers for thee, when thou
wast in her womb: and when she is dead, bury her by me in one grave.
5: My son, be mindful of the Lord our God all thy days, and let not
thy will be set to sin, or to transgress his commandments: do uprightly all thy
life long, and follow not the ways of unrighteousness.
6: For if thou
deal truly, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, and to all them that
live justly.
7: Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest
alms, let not thine eye be envious, neither turn thy face from any poor, and the
face of God shall not be turned away from thee.
8: If thou hast
abundance give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to
give according to that little:
9: For thou layest up a good treasure
for thyself against the day of necessity.
10: Because that alms do
deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness.
11: For
alms is a good gift unto all that give it in the sight of the most High.
12: Beware of all whoredom, my son, and chiefly take a wife of the
seed of thy fathers, and take not a strange woman to wife, which is not of thy
father's tribe: for we are the children of the prophets, Noe, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob: remember, my son, that our fathers from the beginning, even that they
all married wives of their own kindred, and were blessed in their children, and
their seed shall inherit the land.
13: Now therefore, my son, love
thy brethren, and despise not in thy heart thy brethren, the sons and daughters
of thy people, in not taking a wife of them: for in pride is destruction and
much trouble, and in lewdness is decay and great want: for lewdness is the
mother of famine.
14: Let not the wages of any man, which hath
wrought for thee, tarry with thee, but give him it out of hand: for if thou
serve God, he will also repay thee: be circumspect my son, in all things thou
doest, and be wise in all thy conversation.
15: Do that to no man
which thou hatest: drink not wine to make thee drunken: neither let drunkenness
go with thee in thy journey.
16: Give of thy bread to the hungry, and
of thy garments to them that are naked; and according to thine abundance give
alms: and let not thine eye be envious, when thou givest alms.
17:
Pour out thy bread on the burial of the just, but give nothing to the wicked.
18: Ask counsel of all that are wise, and despise not any counsel
that is profitable.
19: Bless the Lord thy God always, and desire of
him that thy ways may be directed, and that all thy paths and counsels may
prosper: for every nation hath not counsel; but the Lord himself giveth all good
things, and he humbleth whom he will, as he will; now therefore, my son,
remember my commandments, neither let them be put out of thy mind.
20: And now I signify this to they that I committed ten talents to
Gabael the son of Gabrias at Rages in Media.
21: And fear not, my
son, that we are made poor: for thou hast much wealth, if thou fear God, and
depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.
Chapter Tob.5
1: Tobias then answered and said, Father, I will do all things which thou
hast commanded me:
2: But how can I receive the money, seeing I know
him not?
3: Then he gave him the handwriting, and said unto him, Seek
thee a man which may go with thee, whiles I yet live, and I will give him wages:
and go and receive the money.
4: Therefore when he went to seek a
man, he found Raphael that was an angel.
5: But he knew not; and he
said unto him, Canst thou go with me to Rages? and knowest thou those places
well?
6: To whom the angel said, I will go with thee, and I know the
way well: for I have lodged with our brother Gabael.
7: Then Tobias
said unto him, Tarry for me, till I tell my father.
8: Then he said
unto him, Go and tarry not. So he went in and said to his father, Behold, I have
found one which will go with me. Then he said, Call him unto me, that I may know
of what tribe he is, and whether he be a trusty man to go with thee.
9: So he called him, and he came in, and they saluted one another.
10: Then Tobit said unto him, Brother, shew me of what tribe and
family thou art.
11: To whom he said, Dost thou seek for a tribe or
family, or an hired man to go with thy son? Then Tobit said unto him, I would
know, brother, thy kindred and name.
12: Then he said, I am Azarias,
the son of Ananias the great, and of thy brethren.
13: Then Tobit
said, Thou art welcome, brother; be not now angry with me, because I have
enquired to know thy tribe and thy family; for thou art my brother, of an honest
and good stock: for I know Ananias and Jonathas, sons of that great Samaias, as
we went together to Jerusalem to worship, and offered the firstborn, and the
tenths of the fruits; and they were not seduced with the error of our brethren:
my brother, thou art of a good stock.
14: But tell me, what wages
shall I give thee? wilt thou a drachm a day, and things necessary, as to mine
own son?
15: Yea, moreover, if ye return safe, I will add something
to thy wages.
16: So they were well pleased. Then said he to Tobias,
Prepare thyself for the journey, and God send you a good journey. And when his
son had prepared all things far the journey, his father said, Go thou with this
man, and God, which dwelleth in heaven, prosper your journey, and the angel of
God keep you company. So they went forth both, and the young man's dog with
them.
17: But Anna his mother wept, and said to Tobit, Why hast thou
sent away our son? is he not the staff of our hand, in going in and out before
us?
18: Be not greedy to add money to money: but let it be as refuse
in respect of our child.
19: For that which the Lord hath given us to
live with doth suffice us.
20: Then said Tobit to her, Take no care,
my sister; he shall return in safety, and thine eyes shall see him.
21: For the good angel will keep him company, and his journey shall
be prosperous, and he shall return safe.
22: Then she made an end of
weeping.
Chapter Tob.6
1: And as they went on their journey, they came in the evening to the
river Tigris, and they lodged there.
2: And when the young man went
down to wash himself, a fish leaped out of the river, and would have devoured
him.
3: Then the angel said unto him, Take the fish. And the young
man laid hold of the fish, and drew it to land.
4: To whom the angel
said, Open the fish, and take the heart and the liver and the gall, and put them
up safely.
5: So the young man did as the angel commanded him; and
when they had roasted the fish, they did eat it: then they both went on their
way, till they drew near to Ecbatane.
6: Then the young man said to
the angel, Brother Azarias, to what use is the heart and the liver and the gal
of the fish?
7: And he said unto him, Touching the heart and the
liver, if a devil or an evil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke thereof
before the man or the woman, and the party shall be no more vexed.
8:
As for the gall, it is good to anoint a man that hath whiteness in his eyes, and
he shall be healed.
9: And when they were come near to Rages,
10: The angel said to the young man, Brother, to day we shall lodge
with Raguel, who is thy cousin; he also hath one only daughter, named Sara; I
will speak for her, that she may be given thee for a wife.
11: For to
thee doth the right of her appertain, seeing thou only art of her kindred.
12: And the maid is fair and wise: now therefore hear me, and I will
speak to her father; and when we return from Rages we will celebrate the
marriage: for I know that Raguel cannot marry her to another according to the
law of Moses, but he shall be guilty of death, because the right of inheritance
doth rather appertain to thee than to any other.
13: Then the young
man answered the angel, I have heard, brother Azarias that this maid hath been
given to seven men, who all died in the marriage chamber.
14: And now
I am the only son of my father, and I am afraid, lest if I go in unto her, I
die, as the other before: for a wicked spirit loveth her, which hurteth no body,
but those which come unto her; wherefore I also fear lest I die, and bring my
father's and my mother's life because of me to the grave with sorrow: for they
have no other son to bury them.
15: Then the angel said unto him,
Dost thou not remember the precepts which thy father gave thee, that thou
shouldest marry a wife of thine own kindred? wherefore hear me, O my brother;
for she shall be given thee to wife; and make thou no reckoning of the evil
spirit; for this same night shall she be given thee in marriage.
16:
And when thou shalt come into the marriage chamber, thou shalt take the ashes of
perfume, and shalt lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish, and
shalt make a smoke with it:
17: And the devil shall smell it, and
flee away, and never come again any more: but when thou shalt come to her, rise
up both of you, and pray to God which is merciful, who will have pity on you,
and save you: fear not, for she is appointed unto thee from the beginning; and
thou shalt preserve her, and she shall go with thee. Moreover I suppose that she
shall bear thee children. Now when Tobias had heard these things, he loved her,
and his heart was effectually joined to her.
Chapter Tob.7
1: And when they were come to Ecbatane, they came to the house of Raguel,
and Sara met them: and after they had saluted one another, she brought them into
the house.
2: Then said Raguel to Edna his wife, How like is this
young man to Tobit my cousin!
3: And Raguel asked them, From whence
are ye, brethren? To whom they said, We are of the sons of Nephthalim, which are
captives in Nineve.
4: Then he said to them, Do ye know Tobit our
kinsman? And they said, We know him. Then said he, Is he in good health?
5: And they said, He is both alive, and in good health: and Tobias
said, He is my father.
6: Then Raguel leaped up, and kissed him, and
wept,
7: And blessed him, and said unto him, Thou art the son of an
honest and good man. But when he had heard that Tobit was blind, he was
sorrowful, and wept.
8: And likewise Edna his wife and Sara his
daughter wept. Moreover they entertained them cheerfully; and after that they
had killed a ram of the flock, they set store of meat on the table. Then said
Tobias to Raphael, Brother Azarias, speak of those things of which thou didst
talk in the way, and let this business be dispatched.
9: So he
communicated the matter with Raguel: and Raguel said to Tobias, Eat and drink,
and make merry:
10: For it is meet that thou shouldest marry my
daughter: nevertheless I will declare unto thee the truth.
11: I have
given my daughter in marriage to seven men, who died that night they came in
unto her: nevertheless for the present be merry. But Tobias said, I will eat
nothing here, till we agree and swear one to another.
12: Raguel
said, Then take her from henceforth according to the manner, for thou art her
cousin, and she is thine, and the merciful God give you good success in all
things.
13: Then he called his daughter Sara, and she came to her
father, and he took her by the hand, and gave her to be wife to Tobias, saying,
Behold, take her after the law of Moses, and lead her away to thy father. And he
blessed them;
14: And called Edna his wife, and took paper, and did
write an instrument of covenants, and sealed it.
15: Then they began
to eat.
16: After Raguel called his wife Edna, and said unto her,
Sister, prepare another chamber, and bring her in thither.
17: Which
when she had done as he had bidden her, she brought her thither: and she wept,
and she received the tears of her daughter, and said unto her,
18: Be
of good comfort, my daughter; the Lord of heaven and earth give thee joy for
this thy sorrow: be of good comfort, my daughter.
Chapter Tob.8
1: And when they had supped, they brought Tobias in unto her.
2: And as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the
ashes of the perfumes, and put the heart and the liver of the fish thereupon,
and made a smoke therewith.
3: The which smell when the evil spirit
had smelled, he fled into the utmost parts of Egypt, and the angel bound him.
4: And after that they were both shut in together, Tobias rose out of
the bed, and said, Sister, arise, and let us pray that God would have pity on
us.
5: Then began Tobias to say, Blessed art thou, O God of our
fathers, and blessed is thy holy and glorious name for ever; let the heavens
bless thee, and all thy creatures.
6: Thou madest Adam, and gavest
him Eve his wife for an helper and stay: of them came mankind: thou hast said,
It is not good that man should be alone; let us make unto him an aid like unto
himself.
7: And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lush but
uprightly: therefore mercifully ordain that we may become aged together.
8: And she said with him, Amen.
9: So they slept both that
night. And Raguel arose, and went and made a grave,
10: Saying, I
fear lest he also be dead.
11: But when Raguel was come into his
house,
12: He said unto his wife Edna. Send one of the maids, and let
her see whether he be alive: if he be not, that we may bury him, and no man know
it.
13: So the maid opened the door, and went in, and found them both
asleep,
14: And came forth, and told them that he was alive.
15: Then Raguel praised God, and said, O God, thou art worthy to be
praised with all pure and holy praise; therefore let thy saints praise thee with
all thy creatures; and let all thine angels and thine elect praise thee for
ever.
16: Thou art to be praised, for thou hast made me joyful; and
that is not come to me which I suspected; but thou hast dealt with us according
to thy great mercy.
17: Thou art to be praised because thou hast had
mercy of two that were the only begotten children of their fathers: grant them
mercy, O Lord, and finish their life in health with joy and mercy.
18: Then Raguel bade his servants to fill the grave.
19:
And he kept the wedding feast fourteen days.
20: For before the days
of the marriage were finished, Raguel had said unto him by an oath, that he
should not depart till the fourteen days of the marriage were expired;
21: And then he should take the half of his goods, and go in safety
to his father; and should have the rest when I and my wife be dead.
Chapter Tob.9
1: Then Tobias called Raphael, and said unto him,
2: Brother
Azarias, take with thee a servant, and two camels, and go to Rages of Media to
Gabael, and bring me the money, and bring him to the wedding.
3: For
Raguel hath sworn that I shall not depart.
4: But my father counteth
the days; and if I tarry long, he will be very sorry.
5: So Raphael
went out, and lodged with Gabael, and gave him the handwriting: who brought
forth bags which were sealed up, and gave them to him.
6: And early
in the morning they went forth both together, and came to the wedding: and
Tobias blessed his wife.
Chapter Tob.10
1: Now Tobit his father counted every day: and when the days of the
journey were expired, and they came not,
2: Then Tobit said, Are they
detained? or is Gabael dead, and there is no man to give him the money?
3: Therefore he was very sorry.
4: Then his wife said unto
him, My son is dead, seeing he stayeth long; and she began to wail him, and
said,
5: Now I care for nothing, my son, since I have let thee go,
the light of mine eyes.
6: To whom Tobit said, Hold thy peace, take
no care, for he is safe.
7: But she said, Hold thy peace, and deceive
me not; my son is dead. And she went out every day into the way which they went,
and did eat no meat on the daytime, and ceased not whole nights to bewail her
son Tobias, until the fourteen days of the wedding were expired, which Raguel
had sworn that he should spend there. Then Tobias said to Raguel, Let me go, for
my father and my mother look no more to see me.
8: But his father in
law said unto him, Tarry with me, and I will send to thy father, and they shall
declare unto him how things go with thee.
9: But Tobias said, No; but
let me go to my father.
10: Then Raguel arose, and gave him Sara his
wife, and half his goods, servants, and cattle, and money:
11: And he
blessed them, and sent them away, saying, The God of heaven give you a
prosperous journey, my children.
12: And he said to his daughter,
Honour thy father and thy mother in law, which are now thy parents, that I may
hear good report of thee. And he kissed her. Edna also said to Tobias, The Lord
of heaven restore thee, my dear brother, and grant that I may see thy children
of my daughter Sara before I die, that I may rejoice before the Lord: behold, I
commit my daughter unto thee of special trust; where are do not entreat her
evil.
Chapter Tob.11
1: After these things Tobias went his way, praising God that he had given
him a prosperous journey, and blessed Raguel and Edna his wife, and went on his
way till they drew near unto Nineve.
2: Then Raphael said to Tobias,
Thou knowest, brother, how thou didst leave thy father:
3: Let us
haste before thy wife, and prepare the house.
4: And take in thine
hand the gall of the fish. So they went their way, and the dog went after them.
5: Now Anna sat looking about toward the way for her son.
6: And when she espied him coming, she said to his father, Behold,
thy son cometh, and the man that went with him.
7: Then said Raphael,
I know, Tobias, that thy father will open his eyes.
8: Therefore
anoint thou his eyes with the gall, and being pricked therewith, he shall rub,
and the whiteness shall fall away, and he shall see thee.
9: Then
Anna ran forth, and fell upon the neck of her son, and said unto him, Seeing I
have seen thee, my son, from henceforth I am content to die. And they wept both.
10: Tobit also went forth toward the door, and stumbled: but his son
ran unto him,
11: And took hold of his father: and he strake of the
gall on his fathers' eyes, saying, Be of good hope, my father.
12:
And when his eyes began to smart, he rubbed them;
13: And the
whiteness pilled away from the corners of his eyes: and when he saw his son, he
fell upon his neck.
14: And he wept, and said, Blessed art thou, O
God, and blessed is thy name for ever; and blessed are all thine holy angels:
15: For thou hast scourged, and hast taken pity on me: for, behold, I
see my son Tobias. And his son went in rejoicing, and told his father the great
things that had happened to him in Media.
16: Then Tobit went out to
meet his daughter in law at the gate of Nineve, rejoicing and praising God: and
they which saw him go marvelled, because he had received his sight.
17: But Tobias gave thanks before them, because God had mercy on him.
And when he came near to Sara his daughter in law, he blessed her, saying, Thou
art welcome, daughter: God be blessed, which hath brought thee unto us, and
blessed be thy father and thy mother. And there was joy among all his brethren
which were at Nineve.
18: And Achiacharus, and Nasbas his brother's
son, came:
19: And Tobias' wedding was kept seven days with great
joy.
Chapter Tob.12
1: Then Tobit called his son Tobias, and said unto him, My son, see that
the man have his wages, which went with thee, and thou must give him more.
2: And Tobias said unto him, O father, it is no harm to me to give
him half of those things which I have brought:
3: For he hath brought
me again to thee in safety, and made whole my wife, and brought me the money,
and likewise healed thee.
4: Then the old man said, It is due unto
him.
5: So he called the angel, and he said unto him, Take half of
all that ye have brought and go away in safety.
6: Then he took them
both apart, and said unto them, Bless God, praise him, and magnify him, and
praise him for the things which he hath done unto you in the sight of all that
live. It is good to praise God, and exalt his name, and honourably to shew forth
the works of God; therefore be not slack to praise him.
7: It is good
to keep close the secret of a king, but it is honourable to reveal the works of
God. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.
8: Prayer is
good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is
better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up
gold:
9: For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all
sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:
10: But they that sin are enemies to their own life.
11:
Surely I will keep close nothing from you. For I said, It was good to keep close
the secret of a king, but that it was honourable to reveal the works of God.
12: Now therefore, when thou didst pray, and Sara thy daughter in
law, I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the Holy One: and when
thou didst bury the dead, I was with thee likewise.
13: And when thou
didst not delay to rise up, and leave thy dinner, to go and cover the dead, thy
good deed was not hid from me: but I was with thee.
14: And now God
hath sent me to heal thee and Sara thy daughter in law.
15: I am
Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, which present the prayers of the saints,
and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One.
16: Then
they were both troubled, and fell upon their faces: for they feared.
17: But he said unto them, Fear not, for it shall go well with you;
praise God therefore.
18: For not of any favour of mine, but by the
will of our God I came; wherefore praise him for ever.
19: All these
days I did appear unto you; but I did neither eat nor drink, but ye did see a
vision.
20: Now therefore give God thanks: for I go up to him that
sent me; but write all things which are done in a book.
21: And when
they arose, they saw him no more.
22: Then they confessed the great
and wonderful works of God, and how the angel of the Lord had appeared unto
them.
Chapter Tob.13
1: Then Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said, Blessed be God that
liveth for ever, and blessed be his kingdom.
2: For he doth scourge,
and hath mercy: he leadeth down to hell, and bringeth up again: neither is there
any that can avoid his hand.
3: Confess him before the Gentiles, ye
children of Israel: for he hath scattered us among them.
4: There
declare his greatness, and extol him before all the living: for he is our Lord,
and he is the God our Father for ever.
5: And he will scourge us for
our iniquities, and will have mercy again, and will gather us out of all
nations, among whom he hath scattered us.
6: If ye turn to him with
your whole heart, and with your whole mind, and deal uprightly before him, then
will he turn unto you, and will not hide his face from you. Therefore see what
he will do with you, and confess him with your whole mouth, and praise the Lord
of might, and extol the everlasting King. In the land of my captivity do I
praise him, and declare his might and majesty to a sinful nation. O ye sinners,
turn and do justice before him: who can tell if he will accept you, and have
mercy on you?
7: I will extol my God, and my soul shall praise the
King of heaven, and shall rejoice in his greatness.
8: Let all men
speak, and let all praise him for his righteousness.
9: O Jerusalem,
the holy city, he will scourge thee for thy children's works, and will have
mercy again on the sons of the righteous.
10: Give praise to the
Lord, for he is good: and praise the everlasting King, that his tabernacle may
be builded in thee again with joy, and let him make joyful there in thee those
that are captives, and love in thee for ever those that are miserable.
11: Many nations shall come from far to the name of the Lord God with
gifts in their hands, even gifts to the King of heaven; all generations shall
praise thee with great joy.
12: Cursed are all they which hate thee,
and blessed shall all be which love thee for ever.
13: Rejoice and be
glad for the children of the just: for they shall be gathered together, and
shall bless the Lord of the just.
14: O blessed are they which love
thee, for they shall rejoice in thy peace: blessed are they which have been
sorrowful for all thy scourges; for they shall rejoice for thee, when they have
seen all thy glory, and shall be glad for ever.
15: Let my soul bless
God the great King.
16: For Jerusalem shall be built up with
sapphires and emeralds, and precious stone: thy walls and towers and battlements
with pure gold.
17: And the streets of Jerusalem shall be paved with
beryl and carbuncle and stones of Ophir.
18: And all her streets
shall say, Alleluia; and they shall praise him, saying, Blessed be God, which
hath extolled it for ever.
Chapter Tob.14
1: So Tobit made an end of praising God.
2: And he was eight
and fifty years old when he lost his sight, which was restored to him after
eight years: and he gave alms, and he increased in the fear of the Lord God, and
praised him.
3: And when he was very aged he called his son, and the
sons of his son, and said to him, My son, take thy children; for, behold, I am
aged, and am ready to depart out of this life.
4: Go into Media my
son, for I surely believe those things which Jonas the prophet spake of Nineve,
that it shall be overthrown; and that for a time peace shall rather be in Media;
and that our brethren shall lie scattered in the earth from that good land: and
Jerusalem shall be desolate, and the house of God in it shall be burned, and
shall be desolate for a time;
5: And that again God will have mercy
on them, and bring them again into the land, where they shall build a temple,
but not like to the first, until the time of that age be fulfilled; and
afterward they shall return from all places of their captivity, and build up
Jerusalem gloriously, and the house of God shall be built in it for ever with a
glorious building, as the prophets have spoken thereof.
6: And all
nations shall turn, and fear the Lord God truly, and shall bury their idols.
7: So shall all nations praise the Lord, and his people shall confess
God, and the Lord shall exalt his people; and all those which love the Lord God
in truth and justice shall rejoice, shewing mercy to our brethren.
8:
And now, my son, depart out of Nineve, because that those things which the
prophet Jonas spake shall surely come to pass.
9: But keep thou the
law and the commandments, and shew thyself merciful and just, that it may go
well with thee.
10: And bury me decently, and thy mother with me; but
tarry no longer at Nineve. Remember, my son, how Aman handled Achiacharus that
brought him up, how out of light he brought him into darkness, and how he
rewarded him again: yet Achiacharus was saved, but the other had his reward: for
he went down into darkness. Manasses gave alms, and escaped the snares of death
which they had set for him: but Aman fell into the snare, and perished.
11: Wherefore now, my son, consider what alms doeth, and how
righteousness doth deliver. When he had said these things, he gave up the ghost
in the bed, being an hundred and eight and fifty years old; and he buried him
honourably.
12: And when Anna his mother was dead, he buried her with
his father. But Tobias departed with his wife and children to Ecbatane to Raguel
his father in law,
13: Where he became old with honour, and he buried
his father and mother in law honourably, and he inherited their substance, and
his father Tobit's.
14: And he died at Ecbatane in Media, being an
hundred and seven and twenty years old.
15: But before he died he
heard of the destruction of Nineve, which was taken by Nabuchodonosor and
Assuerus: and before his death he rejoiced over Nineve.