9 But when they drew near to Rages, 10 the angel said to the young man, “Brother, today we will lodge with Raguel. He is your kinsman. He has an only daughter named Sarah. I will speak about her, that she should be given to you for a wife. 11 For her inheritance belongs to you, and you only are of her kindred. 12 The maid is fair and wise. And now hear me, and I will speak to her father. When we return from Rages we will celebrate the marriage; for I know that Raguel may in no way marry her to another according to the law of Moses, or else he would be liable to death, because it belongs to you to take the inheritance, rather than any other.”
13 Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, I have heard that this maid has been given to seven men, and that they all perished in the bride-chamber. 14 Now I am the only son of my father, and I am afraid, lest I go in and die, even as those before me. For a demon loves her, which harms no man, but those which come to her. Now I fear lest I die, and bring my father’s and my mother’s life to the grave with sorrow because of me. They have no other son to bury them.”
15 But the angel said to him, “Don’t you remember the words which your father commanded you, that you should take a wife of your own kindred? Now hear me, brother; for she will be your wife. Don’t worry about the demon; for this night she will be given you as wife. 16 And when† you come into the bride-chamber, you shall take the ashes of incense, and shall lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish, and shall make smoke with them. 17 The demon will smell it, and flee away, and never come again any more. But when you go near to her, both of you rise up, and cry to God who is merciful. He will save you, and have mercy on you. Don’t be afraid, for she was prepared for you from the beginning; and you will save her, and she will go with you. And I suppose that you will have children with her.”
When Tobias heard these things, he loved her, and his soul was strongly joined to her.
7
1 They came to Ecbatana, and arrived at the house of Raguel. But Sarah met them; and she greeted them, and they her. Then she brought them into the house. 2 Raguel said to Edna his wife, “This young man really resembles Tobit my cousin!” 3 And Raguel asked them, “Where are you two from, kindred?”
They said to him, “We are of the sons of Naphtali, who are captives in Nineveh.”
4 He said to them, “Do you know Tobit our brother?”
They said, “We know him.”
Then he said to them, “Is he in good health?”
5 They said, “He is both alive, and in good health.” Tobias said, “He is my father.”
6 And Raguel sprang up, and kissed him, wept, 7 blessed him, and said to him, “You are the son of an honest and good man.” When he had heard that Tobit had lost his sight, he was grieved, and wept; 8 and Edna his wife and Sarah his daughter wept. They received them gladly; and they killed a ram of the flock, and served them meat.
But Tobias said to Raphael, “Brother Azarias, speak of those things of which you talked about in the way, and let the matter be finished.”
9 So he communicated the thing to Raguel. Raguel said to Tobias, “Eat, drink, and make merry: 10 for it belongs to you to take my child. However I will tell you the truth. 11 I have given my child to seven men of our relatives, and whenever they came in to her, they died in the night. But for the present be merry.”
And Tobias said, “I will taste nothing here, until you all make a covenant and enter into that covenant with me.”
12 Raguel said, “Take her to yourself from now on according to custom. You are her relative, and she is yours. The merciful God will give all good success to you.” 13 And he called his daughter Sarah, and took her by the hand, and gave her to be wife of Tobias, and said, “Behold, take her to yourself after the law of Moses, and lead her away to your father.” And he blessed them. 14 He called Edna his wife, then took a book, wrote a contract, and sealed it. 15 Then they began to eat.
16 And Raguel called his wife Edna, and said to her, “Sister, prepare the other chamber, and bring her in there.” 17 She did as he asked her, and brought her in there. She wept, and she received the tears of her daughter, and said to her, 18 “Be comforted, my child. May the Lord of heaven and earth give you favour† for this your sorrow. Be comforted, my daughter.”
8
1 When they had finished their supper, they brought Tobias in to her. 2 But as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the ashes of the incense, and put the heart and the liver of the fish on them, and made smoke with them. 3 When the demon smelled that smell, it fled into the uppermost parts of Egypt, and the angel bound him. 4 But after they were both shut in together, Tobias rose up from the bed, and said, “Sister, arise, and let’s pray that the Lord may have mercy on us.” 5 And Tobias began to say, “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, and blessed is your holy and glorious name forever. Let the heavens bless you, and all your creatures. 6 You made Adam, and gave him Eve his wife for a helper and support. From them came the seed of men. You said, it is not good that the man should be alone. Let’s make him a helper like him. 7 And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth. Command that I may find mercy and grow old with her.”
8 She said with him, “Amen.” And they both slept that night.
9 Raguel arose, and went and dug a grave, 10 saying, “Lest he also should die.” 11 And Raguel came into his house, 12 and said to Edna his wife, “Send one of the maidservants, and let them see if he is alive. If not, we will bury him, and no man will know it.”
13 So the maidservant opened the door, and went in, and found them both sleeping, 14 and came out, and told them that he was alive.
15 Then Raguel blessed God, saying, “Blessed are you, O God, with all pure and holy blessing! Let your saints bless you, and all your creatures! Let all your angels and your elect bless you forever! 16 Blessed are you, because you have made me glad; and it has not happened to me as I suspected; but you have dealt with us according to your great mercy. 17 Blessed are you, because you have had mercy on two that were the only begotten children of their parents. Show them mercy, O Lord. Fulfil their life in health with gladness and mercy.
18 He commanded his servants to fill the grave. 19 He kept the wedding feast for them fourteen days. 20 Before the days of the wedding feast were finished, Raguel sware to him, that he should not depart till the fourteen days of the wedding feast were fulfilled; 21 and that then he should take half of his goods, and go in safety to his father; and the rest, said he, when my wife and I die.
9
1 And Tobias called Raphael, and said to him, 2 “Brother Azarias, take with you a servant and two camels, and go to Rages of Media to Gabael, and receive the money for me, and bring him to the wedding feast, 3 because Raguel has sworn that I must not depart. 4 My father counts the days; and if I wait long, he will be very grieved. 5 So Raphael went on his way, and lodged with Gabael, and gave him the handwriting; so he brought forth the bags with their seals, and gave them to him. 6 Then they rose up early in the morning together, and came to the wedding feast. Tobias blessed his wife.
10
1 Tobit his father counted every day. When the days of the journey were expired, and they didn’t come, 2 he said, “Is he perchance detained?† Or is Gabael perchance dead, and there is no one to give him the money?” 3 He was very grieved.
4 But his wife said to him, “The child has perished, seeing he waits long.” She began to bewail him, and said, 5 “I care about nothing,‡ my child, since I have let you go, the light of my eyes.” 6 Tobit said to her, “Hold your peace. Don’t worry. He is in good health.”
7 And she said to him, “Hold your peace. Don’t deceive me. My child has perished.” And she went out every day into the way by which they went, and ate no bread in the day-time, and didn’t stop bewailing her son Tobias for whole nights, until the fourteen days of the wedding feast were expired, which Raguel had sworn that he should spend there.
Then Tobias
