16 The prayer of both was heard before the glory of the great God. 17 Raphael also was sent to heal them both, to scale away the white films from Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel for a wife to Tobias the son of Tobit; and to bind Asmodaeus the evil spirit§; because it belonged to Tobias that he should inherit her. At that very time, Tobit returned and entered into his house, and Sarah the daughter of Raguel came down from her upper chamber.
4
1 In that day Tobit remembered the money which he had left in trust with Gabael in Rages of Media, 2 and he said to himself, I have asked for death; why do I not call my son Tobias, that I may explain to him about the money before I die? 3 And he called him, and said,
“My child, if I die, bury me. Don’t despise your mother. Honour her all the days of your life, and do that which is pleasing to her, and don’t grieve her. 4 Remember, my child, that she has seen many dangers for you, when you were in her womb. When she is dead, bury her by me in one grave. 5 My child, be mindful of the Lord our God all your days, and don’t let your will be set to sin and to transgress his commandments: do righteousness all the days of your life, and don’t follow the ways of unrighteousness. 6 For if you do what is true, your deeds will prosperously succeed for you, and for all those who do righteousness. 7 Give alms from your possessions. When you give alms, don’t let your eye be envious. Don’t turn away your face from any poor man, and the face of God won’t be turned away from you. 8 As your possessions are, give alms of it according to your abundance. If you have little, don’t be afraid to give alms according to that little; 9 for you lay up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity; 10 because alms-giving delivers from death, and doesn’t allow you to come into darkness. 11 Alms is a good gift in the sight of the Most High for all that give it. 12 Beware, my child, of all fornication, and take first a wife of the seed of your fathers. Don’t take a strange wife, who is not of your father’s tribe; for we are the descendants of the prophets. Remember, my child, that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of old time, all took wives of their kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed will inherit the land. 13 And now, my child, love your kindred, and don’t scorn your kindred and the sons and the daughters of your people in your heart, to take a wife of them; for in scornfulness is destruction and much trouble, and in idleness is decay and great lack; for idleness is the mother of famine. 14 Don’t let the wages of any man who works for you wait with you, but give it to him out of hand. If you serve God, you will be rewarded. Take heed to yourself, my child, in all your works, and be discreet in all your behaviour. 15 And what you yourself hate, do to no man. Don’t drink wine to drunkenness, and don’t let drunkenness go with you on your way. 16 Give of your bread to the hungry, and of your garments to those who are naked. Give alms from all your abundance. Don’t let your eye be envious when you give alms. 17 Pour out your bread on the burial† of the just, and give nothing to sinners. 18 Ask counsel of every man who is wise, and don’t despise any counsel that is profitable. 19 Bless the Lord your God at all times, and ask of him that your ways may be made straight, and that all your paths and counsels may prosper; for every nation has no counsel; but the Lord himself gives all good things, and he humbles whom he will, as he will. And now, my child, remember my commandments, and let them not be blotted out of your mind. 20 And now I explain to you about the ten talents of silver, which I left in trust with Gabael the son of Gabrias at Rages of Media. 21 And fear not, my child, because we are made poor. You have much wealth, if you fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.”
5
1 Then Tobias answered and said to him, “Father, I will do all things, whatever you have commanded me. 2 But how could I receive the money, since I don’t know him?”
3 He gave him the handwriting, and said to him, “Seek a man who will go with you, and I will give him wages, while I still live; and go and receive the money.”
4 He went to seek a man, and found Raphael who was an angel; 5 and he didn’t know it. He said to him, “Can I go with you to Rages of Media? Do you know those places well?”
6 The angel said to him, “I will go with you. I know the way well. I have lodged with our brother Gabael.”
7 Tobias said to him, “Wait for me, and I will tell my father.”
8 He said to him, “Go, and don’t wait. And he went in and said to his father, “Behold, I have found someone who will go with me.”
But he said, “Call him to me, that I may know of what tribe he is, and whether he be a trustworthy man to go with you.”
9 So he called him, and he came in, and they saluted one another. 10 And Tobit said to him, “Brother, of what tribe and of what family are you? Tell me.”
11 He said to him, “Do you seek a tribe and a family, or a hired man which will go with your son?”
And Tobit said to him, “I want to know, brother, your kindred and your name.”
12 And he said, “I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the great, of your kindred.”
13 And he said to him, “Welcome, brother. Don’t be angry with me, because I sought to know your tribe and family. You are my brother, of an honest and good lineage; for I knew Ananias and Jathan, the sons of Shemaiah the great, when we went together to Jerusalem to worship, and offered the firstborn, and the tenths of our increase; and they didn’t go astray in the error of our kindred. My brother, you are of a great stock. 14 But tell me, what wages shall I give you? A drachma a day, and those things that be necessary for you, as to my son? 15 And moreover, if you both return safe and sound, I will add something to your wages.”
16 And so they agreed. And he said to Tobias, “Prepare yourself for the journey. May God prosper you.” So his son prepared what was needful for the journey, and his father said to him, “Go with this man; but God, who dwells in heaven, will prosper your journey. May his angel go with you.”
Then they both departed, and the young man’s dog went with them. 17 But Anna his mother wept, and said to Tobit, “Why have you sent away our child? Isn’t he the staff of our hand, in going in and out before us? 18 Don’t be greedy to add money to money; but let it be as refuse compared to our child. 19 For what the Lord has given us to live is enough for us.”
20 Tobit said to her, “Don’t worry, my sister. He will return safe and sound, and your eyes will see him. 21 For a good angel will go with him. His journey will be prospered, and he will return safe and sound.”
22 So she stopped weeping.
6
1 Now as they went on their journey, they came at evening to the river Tigris, and they lodged there. 2 But the young man went down to wash himself, and a fish leapt out of the river, and would have swallowed up the young man. 3 But the angel said to him, “Grab the fish!”
So the young man grabbed the fish, and hauled it up onto the land.
4 And the angel said to him, “Cut the fish open, and take the heart, the liver, and the bile, and keep them with you.” 5 And the young man did as the angel commanded him; but they roasted the fish, and ate it. And they both went on their way, till they drew near to Ecbatana.
6 The young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, of what use is the heart, the liver, and the bile of the fish?”
7 He said to him, “About the heart and the liver: If a demon or an evil spirit troubles anyone, we must burn those and make smoke of them before the man or the woman, and the affliction will flee. 8 But as for the bile, it is good to anoint a man that has white films in his eyes, and he
