Day 132: Judit 6 - 8

Chapter 6



Holofernes sends Achior to die in Bethulia
1 When the disturbance made by the people outside the council had died down, Holofernes, the commander of the Assyrian army, said to Achior in the presence of all the foreign contingents:
2 "Who are you, Achior and you mercenaries of Ephraim, to prophesy among us as you have done today and tell us not to make war against the people of Israel because their God will defend them? What god is there except Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his forces and destroy them from the face of the earth. Their God will not save them;
3 we the king's servants will destroy them as one man. They cannot resist the might of our cavalry.
4 We will overwhelm them; their mountains will be drunk with their blood, and their fields will be full of their dead. Not even their footprints will survive our attack; they will utterly perish. So says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of the whole earth. For he has spoken; none of his words shall be in vain.
5 "As for you, Achior, you Ammonite mercenary, you have said these words in a moment of perversity; you shall not see my face again from this day until I take revenge on this race that came out of Egypt.
6 Then at my return the sword of my army and the spear of my servants shall pierce your sides, and you shall fall among their wounded.
7 Now my slaves are going to take you back into the hill country and put you in one of the towns beside the passes.
8 You will not die until you perish along with them.
9 If you really hope in your heart that they will not be taken, then do not look downcast! I have spoken, and none of my words shall fail to come true."
10 Then Holofernes ordered his slaves, who waited on him in his tent, to seize Achior and take him away to Bethulia and hand him over to the Israelites.
11 So the slaves took him and led him out of the camp into the plain, and from the plain they went up into the hill country and came to the springs below Bethulia.
12 When the men of the town saw them, they seized their weapons and ran out of the town to the top of the hill, and all the slingers kept them from coming up by throwing stones at them.
13 So having taken shelter below the hill, they bound Achior and left him lying at the foot of the hill, and returned to their master.
14 Then the Israelites came down from their town and found him; they untied him and brought him into Bethulia and placed him before the magistrates of their town,
15 who in those days were Uzziah son of Micah, of the tribe of Simeon, and Chabris son of Gothoniel, and Charmis son of Melchiel.
16 They called together all the elders of the town, and all their young men and women ran to the assembly. They set Achior in the midst of all their people, and Uzziah questioned him about what had happened.
17 He answered and told them what had taken place at the council of Holofernes, and all that he had said in the presence of the Assyrian leaders, and all that Holofernes had boasted he would do against the house of Israel.
18 Then the people fell down and worshiped God, and cried out:
19 "O Lord God of heaven, see their arrogance, and have pity on our people in their humiliation, and look kindly today on the faces of those who are consecrated to you."
20 Then they reassured Achior, and praised him highly.
21 Uzziah took him from the assembly to his own house and gave a banquet for the elders; and all that night they called on the God of Israel for help.

Chapter 7



Under siege, despair grows in Bethulia
1 The next day Holofernes ordered his whole army, and all the allies who had joined him, to break camp and move against Bethulia, and to seize the passes up into the hill country and make war on the Israelites.
2 So all their warriors marched off that day; their fighting forces numbered one hundred seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, not counting the baggage and the foot soldiers handling it, a very great multitude.
3 They encamped in the valley near Bethulia, beside the spring, and they spread out in breadth over Dothan as far as Balbaim and in length from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.
4 When the Israelites saw their vast numbers, they were greatly terrified and said to one another, "They will now strip clean the whole land; neither the high mountains nor the valleys nor the hills will bear their weight."
5 Yet they all seized their weapons, and when they had kindled fires on their towers, they remained on guard all that night.
6 On the second day Holofernes led out all his cavalry in full view of the Israelites in Bethulia.
7 He reconnoitered the approaches to their town, and visited the springs that supplied their water; he seized them and set guards of soldiers over them, and then returned to his army.
8 Then all the chieftains of the Edomites and all the leaders of the Moabites and the commanders of the coastland came to him and said,
9 "Listen to what we have to say, my lord, and your army will suffer no losses.
10 This people, the Israelites, do not rely on their spears but on the height of the mountains where they live, for it is not easy to reach the tops of their mountains.
11 Therefore, my lord, do not fight against them in regular formation, and not a man of your army will fall.
12 Remain in your camp, and keep all the men in your forces with you; let your servants take possession of the spring of water that flows from the foot of the mountain,
13 for this is where all the people of Bethulia get their water. So thirst will destroy them, and they will surrender their town. Meanwhile, we and our people will go up to the tops of the nearby mountains and camp there to keep watch to see that no one gets out of the town.
14 They and their wives and children will waste away with famine, and before the sword reaches them they will be strewn about in the streets where they live.
15 Thus you will pay them back with evil, because they rebelled and did not receive you peaceably."
16 These words pleased Holofernes and all his attendants, and he gave orders to do as they had said.
17 So the army of the Ammonites moved forward, together with five thousand Assyrians, and they encamped in the valley and seized the water supply and the springs of the Israelites.
18 And the Edomites and Ammonites went up and encamped in the hill country opposite Dothan; and they sent some of their men toward the south and the east, toward Egrebeh, which is near Chusi beside the Wadi Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army encamped in the plain, and covered the whole face of the land. Their tents and supply trains spread out in great number, and they formed a vast multitude.

Distress of the Israelites
19 The Israelites then cried out to the Lord their God, for their courage failed, because all their enemies had surrounded them, and there was no way of escape from them.
20 The whole Assyrian army, their infantry, chariots, and cavalry, surrounded them for thirty-four days, until all the water containers of every inhabitant of Bethulia were empty;
21 their cisterns were going dry, and on no day did they have enough water to drink, for their drinking water was rationed.
22 Their children were listless, and the women and young men fainted from thirst and were collapsing in the streets of the town and in the gateways; they no longer had any strength.
23 Then all the people, the young men, the women, and the children, gathered around Uzziah and the rulers of the town and cried out with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,
24 "Let God judge between you and us! You have done us a great injury in not making peace with the Assyrians.
25 For now we have no one to help us; God has sold us into their hands, to be strewn before them in thirst and exhaustion.
26 Now summon them and surrender the whole town as booty to the army of Holofernes and to all his forces.
27 For it would be better for us to be captured by them. We shall indeed become slaves, but our lives will be spared, and we shall not witness our little ones dying before our eyes, and our wives and children drawing their last breath.
28 We call to witness against you heaven and earth and our God, the Lord of our ancestors, who punishes us for our sins and the sins of our ancestors; do today the things that we have described!"
29 Then great and general lamentation arose throughout the assembly, and they cried out to the Lord God with a loud voice.
30 But Uzziah said to them, "Courage, my brothers and sisters! Let us hold out for five days more; by that time the Lord our God will turn his mercy to us again, for he will not forsake us utterly.
31 But if these days pass by, and no help comes for us, I will do as you say."
32 Then he dismissed the people to their various posts, and they went up on the walls and towers of their town. The women and children he sent home. In the town they were in great misery.

Chapter 8

Judith insists they must trust God
1 Now in those days Judith heard about these things: she was the daughter of Merari son of Ox son of Joseph son of Oziel son of Elkiah son of Ananias son of Gideon son of Raphain son of Ahitub son of Elijah son of Hilkiah son of Eliab son of Nathanael son of Salamiel son of Sarasadai son of Israel.
2 Her husband Manasseh, who belonged to her tribe and family, had died during the barley harvest.
3 For as he stood overseeing those who were binding sheaves in the field, he was overcome by the burning heat, and took to his bed and died in his town Bethulia. So they buried him with his ancestors in the field between Dothan and Balamon.
4 Judith remained as a widow for three years and four months
5 at home where she set up a tent for herself on the roof of her house. She put sackcloth around her waist and dressed in widow's clothing.
6 She fasted all the days of her widowhood, except the day before the sabbath and the sabbath itself, the day before the new moon and the day of the new moon, and the festivals and days of rejoicing of the house of Israel.
7 She was beautiful in appearance, and was very lovely to behold. Her husband Manasseh had left her gold and silver, men and women slaves, livestock, and fields; and she maintained this estate.
8 No one spoke ill of her, for she feared God with great devotion.

Judith's advice to the Elders
9 When Judith heard the harsh words spoken by the people against the ruler, because they were faint for lack of water, and when she heard all that Uzziah said to them, and how he promised them under oath to surrender the town to the Assyrians after five days,
10 she sent her maid, who was in charge of all she possessed, to summon Uzziah and Chabris and Charmis, the elders of her town.
11 They came to her, and she said to them:"Listen to me, rulers of the people of Bethulia! What you have said to the people today is not right; you have even sworn and pronounced this oath between God and you, promising to surrender the town to our enemies unless the Lord turns and helps us within so many days.
12 Who are you to put God to the test today, and to set yourselves up in the place of God in human affairs?
13 You are putting the Lord Almighty to the test, but you will never learn anything!
14 You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart or understand the workings of the human mind; how do you expect to search out God, who made all these things, and find out his mind or comprehend his thought? No, my brothers, do not anger the Lord our God.
15 For if he does not choose to help us within these five days, he has power to protect us within any time he pleases, or even to destroy us in the presence of our enemies.
16 Do not try to bind the purposes of the Lord our God; for God is not like a human being, to be threatened, or like a mere mortal, to be won over by pleading.
17 Therefore, while we wait for his deliverance, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it pleases him.
18 "For never in our generation, nor in these present days, has there been any tribe or family or people or town of ours that worships gods made with hands, as was done in days gone by.
19 That was why our ancestors were handed over to the sword and to pillage, and so they suffered a great catastrophe before our enemies.
20 But we know no other god but him, and so we hope that he will not disdain us or any of our nation.
21 For if we are captured, all Judea will be captured and our sanctuary will be plundered; and he will make us pay for its desecration with our blood.
22 The slaughter of our kindred and the captivity of the land and the desolation of our inheritance - all this he will bring on our heads among the Gentiles, wherever we serve as slaves; and we shall be an offense and a disgrace in the eyes of those who acquire us.
23 For our slavery will not bring us into favor, but the Lord our God will turn it to dishonor.
24 "Therefore, my brothers, let us set an example for our kindred, for their lives depend upon us, and the sanctuary - both the temple and the altar - rests upon us.
25 In spite of everything let us give thanks to the Lord our God, who is putting us to the test as he did our ancestors.
26 Remember what he did with Abraham, and how he tested Isaac, and what happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia, while he was tending the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.
27 For he has not tried us with fire, as he did them, to search their hearts, nor has he taken vengeance on us; but the Lord scourges those who are close to him in order to admonish them."

Uzziah asks her to pray for them
28 Then Uzziah said to her, "All that you have said was spoken out of a true heart, and there is no one who can deny your words.
29 Today is not the first time your wisdom has been shown, but from the beginning of your life all the people have recognized your understanding, for your heart's disposition is right.
30 But the people were so thirsty that they compelled us to do for them what we have promised, and made us take an oath that we cannot break.
31 Now since you are a God-fearing woman, pray for us, so that the Lord may send us rain to fill our cisterns. Then we will no longer feel faint from thirst."
32 Then Judith said to them, "Listen to me. I am about to do something that will go down through all generations of our descendants.
33 Stand at the town gate tonight so that I may go out with my maid; and within the days after which you have promised to surrender the town to our enemies, the Lord will deliver Israel by my hand.
34 Only, do not try to find out what I am doing; for I will not tell you until I have finished what I am about to do."
35 Uzziah and the rulers said to her, "Go in peace, and may the Lord God go before you, to take vengeance on our enemies."
36 So they returned from the tent and went to their posts.

Day 131: Judith 1 - 5

Chapter 1



Nebuchadnezzar invades western Asia

1 It was the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh. In those days Arphaxad ruled over the Medes in Ecbatana.
2 He built walls around Ecbatana with hewn stones three cubits thick and six cubits long; he made the walls seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide.
3 At its gates he raised towers one hundred cubits high and sixty cubits wide at the foundations.
4 He made its gates seventy cubits high and forty cubits wide to allow his armies to march out in force and his infantry to form their ranks.
5 Then King Nebuchadnezzar made war against King Arphaxad in the great plain that is on the borders of Ragau.
6 There rallied to him all the people of the hill country and all those who lived along the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Hydaspes, and, on the plain, Arioch, king of the Elymeans. Thus, many nations joined the forces of the Chaldeans.

Nebuchadnezzar's ultimatum
7 Then Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, sent messengers to all who lived in Persia and to all who lived in the west, those who lived in Cilicia and Damascus, Lebanon and Antilebanon, and all who lived along the seacoast,
8 and those among the nations of Carmel and Gilead, and Upper Galilee and the great plain of Esdraelon,
9 and all who were in Samaria and its towns, and beyond the Jordan as far as Jerusalem and Bethany and Chelous and Kadesh and the river of Egypt, and Tahpanhes and Raamses and the whole land of Goshen,
10 even beyond Tanis and Memphis, and all who lived in Egypt as far as the borders of Ethiopia.
11 But all who lived in the whole region disregarded the summons of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, and refused to join him in the war; for they were not afraid of him, but regarded him as only one man. So they sent back his messengers empty-handed and in disgrace.
12 Then Nebuchadnezzar became very angry with this whole region, and swore by his throne and kingdom that he would take revenge on the whole territory of Cilicia and Damascus and Syria, that he would kill with his sword also all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the people of Ammon, and all Judea, and every one in Egypt, as far as the coasts of the two seas.

Arphaxad is defeated
13 In the seventeenth year he led his forces against King Arphaxad and defeated him in battle, overthrowing the whole army of Arphaxad and all his cavalry and all his chariots.
14 Thus he took possession of his towns and came to Ecbatana, captured its towers, plundered its markets, and turned its glory into disgrace.
15 He captured Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau and struck him down with his spears, thus destroying him once and for all.
16 Then he returned to Nineveh, he and all his combined forces, a vast body of troops; and there he and his forces rested and feasted for one hundred twenty days.

Chapter 2

Holofernes comes with 132,000 men
1 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was talk in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, about carrying out his revenge on the whole region, just as he had said.
2 He summoned all his ministers and all his nobles and set before them his secret plan and recounted fully, with his own lips, all the wickedness of the region.
3 They decided that everyone who had not obeyed his command should be destroyed.
4 When he had completed his plan, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, called Holofernes, the chief general of his army, second only to himself, and said to him,
5 "Thus says the Great King, the lord of the whole earth: Leave my presence and take with you men confident in their strength, one hundred twenty thousand foot soldiers and twelve thousand cavalry.
6 March out against all the land to the west, because they disobeyed my orders.
7 Tell them to prepare earth and water, for I am coming against them in my anger, and will cover the whole face of the earth with the feet of my troops, to whom I will hand them over to be plundered.
8 Their wounded shall fill their ravines and gullies, and the swelling river shall be filled with their dead.
9 I will lead them away captive to the ends of the whole earth.
10 You shall go and seize all their territory for me in advance. They must yield themselves to you, and you shall hold them for me until the day of their punishment.
11 But to those who resist show no mercy, but hand them over to slaughter and plunder throughout your whole region.
12 For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, what I have spoken I will accomplish by my own hand.
13 And you - take care not to transgress any of your lord's commands, but carry them out exactly as I have ordered you; do it without delay."

Campaign of Holofernes
14 So Holofernes left the presence of his lord, and summoned all the commanders, generals, and officers of the Assyrian army.
15 He mustered the picked troops by divisions as his lord had ordered him to do, one hundred twenty thousand of them, together with twelve thousand archers on horseback,
16 and he organized them as a great army is marshaled for a campaign.
17 He took along a vast number of camels and donkeys and mules for transport, and innumerable sheep and oxen and goats for food;
18 also ample rations for everyone, and a huge amount of gold and silver from the royal palace.
19 Then he set out with his whole army, to go ahead of King Nebuchadnezzar and to cover the whole face of the earth to the west with their chariots and cavalry and picked foot soldiers.
20 Along with them went a mixed crowd like a swarm of locusts, like the dust of the earth - a multitude that could not be counted.
21 They marched for three days from Nineveh to the plain of Bectileth, and camped opposite Bectileth near the mountain that is to the north of Upper Cilicia.
22 From there Holofernes took his whole army, the infantry, cavalry, and chariots, and went up into the hill country.
23 He ravaged Put and Lud, and plundered all the Rassisites and the Ishmaelites on the border of the desert, south of the country of the Chelleans.
24 Then he followed the Euphrates and passed through Mesopotamia and destroyed all the fortified towns along the brook Abron, as far as the sea.
25 He also seized the territory of Cilicia, and killed everyone who resisted him. Then he came to the southern borders of Japheth, facing Arabia.
26 He surrounded all the Midianites, and burned their tents and plundered their sheepfolds.
27 Then he went down into the plain of Damascus during the wheat harvest, and burned all their fields and destroyed their flocks and herds and sacked their towns and ravaged their lands and put all their young men to the sword.
28 So fear and dread of him fell upon all the people who lived along the seacoast, at Sidon and Tyre, and those who lived in Sur and Ocina and all who lived in Jamnia. Those who lived in Azotus and Ascalon feared him greatly.

Chapter 3



Other peoples beg for peace
1 They therefore sent messengers to him to sue for peace in these words:
2 "We, the servants of Nebuchadnezzar, the Great King, lie prostrate before you. Do with us whatever you will.
3 See, our buildings and all our land and all our wheat fields and our flocks and herds and all our encampments lie before you; do with them as you please.
4 Our towns and their inhabitants are also your slaves; come and deal with them as you see fit."
5 The men came to Holofernes and told him all this.
6 Then he went down to the seacoast with his army and stationed garrisons in the fortified towns and took picked men from them as auxiliaries.
7 These people and all in the countryside welcomed him with garlands and dances and tambourines.
8 Yet he demolished all their shrines and cut down their sacred groves; for he had been commissioned to destroy all the gods of the land, so that all nations should worship Nebuchadnezzar alone, and that all their dialects and tribes should call upon him as a god.
9 Then he came toward Esdraelon, near Dothan, facing the great ridge of Judea;
10 he camped between Geba and Scythopolis, and remained for a whole month in order to collect all the supplies for his army.

Chapter 4



Nebuchadnezzar invades western Asia

Israel refuses to surrender
1 When the Israelites living in Judea heard of everything that Holofernes, the general of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Assyrians, had done to the nations, and how he had plundered and destroyed all their temples,
2 they were therefore greatly terrified at his approach; they were alarmed both for Jerusalem and for the temple of the Lord their God.
3 For they had only recently returned from exile, and all the people of Judea had just now gathered together, and the sacred vessels and the altar and the temple had been consecrated after their profanation.
4 So they sent word to every district of Samaria, and to Kona, Beth-horon, Belmain, and Jericho, and to Choba and Aesora, and the valley of Salem.
5 They immediately seized all the high hilltops and fortified the villages on them and stored up food in preparation for war - since their fields had recently been harvested.
6 The high priest, Joakim, who was in Jerusalem at the time, wrote to the people of Bethulia and Betomesthaim, which faces Esdraelon opposite the plain near Dothan,
7 ordering them to seize the mountain passes, since by them Judea could be invaded; and it would be easy to stop any who tried to enter, for the approach was narrow, wide enough for only two at a time to pass.
Recourse to prayer and penance
8 So the Israelites did as they had been ordered by the high priest Joakim and the senate of the whole people of Israel, in session at Jerusalem.
9 And every man of Israel cried out to God with great fervor, and they humbled themselves with much fasting.
10 They and their wives and their children and their cattle and every resident alien and hired laborer and purchased slave - they all put sackcloth around their waists.
11 And all the Israelite men, women, and children living at Jerusalem prostrated themselves before the temple and put ashes on their heads and spread out their sackcloth before the Lord.
12 They even draped the altar with sackcloth and cried out in unison, praying fervently to the God of Israel not to allow their infants to be carried off and their wives to be taken as booty, and the towns they had inherited to be destroyed, and the sanctuary to be profaned and desecrated to the malicious joy of the Gentiles.
13 The Lord heard their prayers and had regard for their distress; for the people fasted many days throughout Judea and in Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty.
14 The high priest Joakim and all the priests who stood before the Lord and ministered to the Lord, with sackcloth around their loins, offered the daily burnt offerings, the votive offerings, and freewill offerings of the people.
15 With ashes on their turbans, they cried out to the Lord with all their might to look with favor on the whole house of Israel.

Chapter 5



Achior the Ammonite explains the Jewish faith
1 It was reported to Holofernes, the general of the Assyrian army, that the people of Israel had prepared for war and had closed the mountain passes and fortified all the high hilltops and set up barricades in the plains.
2 In great anger he called together all the princes of Moab and the commanders of Ammon and all the governors of the coastland,
3 and said to them, "Tell me, you Canaanites, what people is this that lives in the hill country? What towns do they inhabit? How large is their army, and in what does their power and strength consist? Who rules over them as king and leads their army?
4 And why have they alone, of all who live in the west, refused to come out and meet me?"
5 Then Achior, the leader of all the Ammonites, said to him, "May my lord please listen to a report from the mouth of your servant, and I will tell you the truth about this people that lives in the mountain district near you. No falsehood shall come from your servant's mouth.
6 These people are descended from the Chaldeans.
7 At one time they lived in Mesopotamia, because they did not wish to follow the gods of their ancestors who were in Chaldea.
8 Since they had abandoned the ways of their ancestors, and worshiped the God of heaven, the God they had come to know, their ancestors drove them out from the presence of their gods. So they fled to Mesopotamia, and lived there for a long time.
9 Then their God commanded them to leave the place where they were living and go to the land of Canaan. There they settled, and grew very prosperous in gold and silver and very much livestock.
10 When a famine spread over the land of Canaan they went down to Egypt and lived there as long as they had food. There they became so great a multitude that their race could not be counted.
11 So the king of Egypt became hostile to them; he exploited them and forced them to make bricks.
12 They cried out to their God, and he afflicted the whole land of Egypt with incurable plagues. So the Egyptians drove them out of their sight.
13 Then God dried up the Red Sea before them,
14 and he led them by the way of Sinai and Kadesh-barnea. They drove out all the people of the desert,
15 and took up residence in the land of the Amorites, and by their might destroyed all the inhabitants of Heshbon; and crossing over the Jordan they took possession of all the hill country.
16 They drove out before them the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Shechemites, and all the Gergesites, and lived there a long time.
17 "As long as they did not sin against their God they prospered, for the God who hates iniquity is with them.
18 But when they departed from the way he had prescribed for them, they were utterly defeated in many battles and were led away captive to a foreign land. The temple of their God was razed to the ground, and their towns were occupied by their enemies.
19 But now they have returned to their God, and have come back from the places where they were scattered, and have occupied Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and have settled in the hill country, because it was uninhabited.
20 "So now, my master and lord, if there is any oversight in this people and they sin against their God and we find out their offense, then we can go up and defeat them.
21 But if they are not a guilty nation, then let my lord pass them by; for their Lord and God will defend them, and we shall become the laughingstock of the whole world."
22 When Achior had finished saying these things, all the people standing around the tent began to complain; Holofernes' officers and all the inhabitants of the seacoast and Moab insisted that he should be cut to pieces.
23 They said, "We are not afraid of the Israelites; they are a people with no strength or power for making war.
24 Therefore let us go ahead, Lord Holofernes, and your vast army will swallow them up."

Day 130: Tobit 10 - 14

Chapter 10

1: Meanwhile, day by day, Tobit was keeping track of the time Tobias would need to go and to return. When the number of days was reached and his son did not appear,

2: he said, “I wonder what has happened. Perhaps he has been detained there; or perhaps Gabael is dead, and there is no one to give him the money.”

3: And he began to worry.

4: His wife Anna said, “My son has perished and is no longer among the living!” And she began to weep aloud and to wail over her son:

5: “Alas, my child, light of my eyes, that I let you make this journey!”

6: But Tobit kept telling her: “Hush, do not think about it, my love; he is safe! Probably they have to take care of some unexpected business there. The man who is traveling with him is trustworthy, and is one of our own kinsmen. So do not worry over him, my love. He will be here soon.”

7: But she retorted, “Stop it, and do not lie to me! My child has perished!” She would go out and keep watch all day at the road her son had taken, and she ate nothing. At sunset she would go back home to wail and cry the whole night through, getting no sleep at all.Now at the end of the fourteen-day wedding celebration which Raguel had sworn to hold for his daughter, Tobias went to him and said: “Please let me go, for I know that my father and mother do not believe they will ever see me again. So I beg you, father, let me go back to my father. I have already told you how I left him.”

8: Raguel said to Tobias: “Stay, my child, stay with me. I am sending messengers to your father Tobit, and they will give him news of you.”

9: But Tobias insisted, “No, I beg you to let me go back to my father.”

10: Raguel then promptly handed over to Tobias Sarah his wife, together with half of all his property: male and female slaves, oxen and sheep, asses and camels, clothing, money, and household goods.

11: Bidding them farewell, he let them go. He embraced Tobias and said to him: “Good-bye, my son. Have a safe journey. May the Lord of heaven grant prosperity to you and to your wife Sarah. And may I see children of yours before I die!”

12: Then he kissed his daughter Sarah and said to her: “My daughter, honor your father-in-law and your mother-in-law, because from now on they are as much your parents as the ones who brought you into the world. Go in peace, my daughter; let me hear good reports about you as long as I live.” Finally he said good-bye to them and sent them away.

13: Then Edna said to Tobias: “My child and beloved kinsman, may the Lord bring you back safely, and may I live long enough to see children of you and of my daughter Sarah before I die. Before the Lord, I entrust my daughter to your care. Never cause her grief at any time in your life. Go in peace, my child. From now on I am your mother, and Sarah is your beloved. May all of us be prosperous all the days of our lives.” She kissed them both and sent them away in peace.

14: When Tobias left Raguel, he was full of happiness and joy, and he blessed the Lord of heaven and earth, the King of all, for making his journey so successful. Finally he said good-bye to Raguel and his wife Edna, and added, “May I honor you all the days of my life!”

Chapter 11

1: Then they left and began their return journey. When they were near Kaserin, just before Nineveh,

2: Raphael said: “You know how we left your father.

3: Let us hurry on ahead of your wife to prepare the house while the rest of the party are still on the way.”

4: So they both went on ahead and Raphael said to Tobias, “Have the gall in your hand!” And the dog ran along behind them.

5: Meanwhile, Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come.

6: When she saw him coming, she exclaimed to his father, “Tobit, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”

7: Raphael said to Tobias before he reached his father: “I am certain that his eyes will be opened.

8: Smear the fish gall on them. This medicine will make the cataracts shrink and peel off from his eyes; then your father will again be able to see the light of day.”

9: Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him, and said to him, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” And she sobbed aloud.

10: Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate. Tobias went up to him

11: with the fish gall in his hand, and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes. “Courage, father,” he said.

12: Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes,

13: and it made them smart. Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes, Tobias used both hands to peel off the cataracts. When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around him

14: and wept. He exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” Then he said: “Blessed be God, and praised be his great name, and blessed be all his holy angels. May his holy name be praised throughout all the ages,

15: Because it was he who scourged me, and it is he who has had mercy on me. Behold, I now see my son Tobias!” Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice. Tobias told his father that his journey had been a success; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, who would arrive shortly, for she was approaching the gate of Nineveh. ‘

16: Rejoicing and praising God, Tobit went out to the gate of Nineveh to meet his daughter-in-law. When the people of Nineveh saw him walking along briskly, with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed.

17: Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes. When Tobit reached Sarah, the wife of his son Tobias, he greeted her: “Welcome, my daughter! Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter! Blessed are your father and your mother. Blessed is my son Tobias, and blessed are you, daughter! Welcome to your home with blessing and joy. Come in, daughter!” That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh.

18: Ahikar and his nephew Nadab also came to rejoice with Tobit. They celebrated Tobias’s wedding feast for seven happy days, and he received many gifts.

Chapter 12

1:  When the wedding celebration came to an end, Tobit called his son Tobias and said to him, “Son, see to it that you give what is due to the man who made the journey with you; give him a bonus too.”

2: Tobias said: “Father, how much shall I pay him? It would not hurt me at all to give him half of all the wealth he brought back with me.

3: He led me back safe and sound; he cured my wife; he brought the money back with me; and he cured you. How much of a bonus should I give him?”

4: Tobit answered, “It is only fair, son, that he should receive half of all that he brought back.”

5: So Tobias called Raphael and said, “Take as your wages half of all that you have brought back, and go in peace.”

6: Raphael called the two men aside privately and said to them: “Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory. Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Before all men, honor and proclaim God’s deeds, and do not be slack in praising him.

7: A king’s secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be declared and made known. Praise them with due honor. Do good, and evil will not find its way to you.

8: Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold;

9: for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life;

10: but those habitually guilty of sin are their own worst enemies.

11: “I will now tell you the whole truth; I will conceal nothing at all from you. I have already said to you, ‘A king’s secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be made known with due honor.’

12:  I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead.

13: When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury the dead,

14: I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God commissioned me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.

15: I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.”

16: Stricken with fear, the two men fell to the ground.

17: But Raphael said to them: “No need to fear; you are safe. Thank God now and forever.

18: As for me, when I came to you it was not out of any favor on my part, but because it was God’s will. So continue to thank him every day; praise him with song.

19: Even though you watched me eat and drink, I did not really do so; what you were seeing was a vision.

20: So now get up from the ground and praise God. Behold, I am about to ascend to him who sent me; write down all these things that have happened to you.”

21: When Raphael ascended they rose to their feet and could no longer see him.

22: They kept thanking God and singing his praises; and they continued to acknowledge these marvelous deeds which he had done when the angel of God appeared to them.

Tobith – Chapter 13

1: Then Tobit composed this joyful prayer: Blessed be God who lives forever, because his kingdom lasts for all ages.

2: For he scourges and then has mercy; he casts down to the depths of the nether world, and he brings up from the great abyss. No one can escape his hand.

3: Praise him, you Israelites, before the Gentiles, for though he has scattered you among them,

4: he has shown you his greatness even there. Exalt him before every living being, because he is the Lord our God, our Father and God forever.

5: He scourged you for your iniquities, but will again have mercy on you all. He will gather you from all the Gentiles among whom you have been scattered.

6: When you turn back to him with all your heart, to do what is right before him, Then he will turn back to you, and no longer hide his face from you. So now consider what he has done for you, and praise him with full voice. Bless the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. In the land of my exile I praise him, and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation. “Turn back, you sinners! do the right before him: perhaps he may look with favor upon you and show you mercy.

7: “As for me, I exalt my God, and my spirit rejoices in the King of heaven.

8: Let all men speak of his majesty, and sing his praises in Jerusalem.”

9: O Jerusalem, holy city, he scourged you for the works of your hands, but will again pity the children of the righteous.

10: Praise the Lord for his goodness, and bless the King of the ages, so that his tent may be rebuilt in you with joy. May he gladden within you all who were captives; all who were ravaged may he cherish within you for all generations to come.

11: A bright light will shine to all parts of the earth; many nations shall come to you from afar, And the inhabitants of all the limits of the earth, drawn to you by the name of the Lord God, Bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven. Every generation shall give joyful praise in you, and shall call you the chosen one, through all ages forever.

12: Accursed are all who speak a harsh word against you; accursed are all who destroy you and pull down your walls, And all who overthrow your towers and set fire to your homes; but forever blessed are all those who build you up.

13: Go, then, rejoice over the children of the righteous, who shall all be gathered together and shall bless the Lord of the ages.

14: Happy are those who love you, and happy those who rejoice in your prosperity. Happy are all the men who shall grieve over you, over all your chastisements, For they shall rejoice in you as they behold all your joy forever.

15: My spirit blesses the Lord, the great King;

16: Jerusalem shall be rebuilt as his home forever. Happy for me if a remnant of my offspring survive to see your glory and to praise the King of heaven! The gates of Jerusalem shall be built with sapphire and emerald, and all your walls with precious stones. The towers of Jerusalem shall be built with gold, and their battlements with pure gold.

17: The streets of Jerusalem shall be paved with rubies and stones of Ophir;

18: The gates of Jerusalem shall sing hymns of gladness, and all her houses shall cry out, “Alleluia! “Blessed be God who has raised you up! may he be blessed for all ages!” For in you they shall praise his holy name forever. The end of Tobit’s hymn of praise.

Chapter 14

1: Tobit died peacefully at the age of a hundred and twelve, and received an honorable burial in Nineveh.

2: He was sixty-two years old when he lost his eyesight, and after he recovered it he lived in prosperity, giving alms and continually blessing God and praising the divine Majesty.
3: Just before he died, he called his son Tobias and Tobias’s seven sons, and gave him this command: “Son, take your children
4: and flee into Media, for I believe God’s word which was spoken by Nahum against Nineveh. It shall all happen, and shall overtake Assyria and Nineveh; indeed, whatever was said by Israel’s prophets, whom God commissioned, shall occur. Not one of all the oracles shall remain unfulfilled, but everything shall take place in the time appointed for it. So it will be safer in Media than in Assyria or Babylon. For I know and believe that whatever God has spoken will be accomplished. It shall happen, and not a single word of the prophecies shall prove false. “As for our kinsmen who dwell in Israel, they shall all be scattered and led away into exile from the Good Land. The entire country of Israel shall become desolate; even Samaria and Jerusalem shall become desolate! God’s temple there shall be burnt to the ground and shall be desolate for a while.
5: But God will again have mercy on them and bring them back to the land of Israel. They shall rebuild the temple, but it will not be like the first one, until the era when the appointed times shall be completed. Afterward all of them shall return from their exile, and they shall rebuild Jerusalem with splendor. In her the temple of God shall also be rebuilt; yes, it will be rebuilt for all generations to come, just as the prophets of Israel said of her.
6: All the nations of the world shall be converted and shall offer God true worship; all shall abandon their idols which have deceitfully led them into error,
7: and shall bless the God of the ages in righteousness. Because all the Israelites who are to be saved in those days will truly be mindful of God, they shall be gathered together and go to Jerusalem; in security shall they dwell forever in the land of Abraham, which will be given over to them. Those who sincerely love God shall rejoice, but those who become guilty of sin shall completely disappear from the land.
8: “Now, as for you, my son, depart from Nineveh; do not remain here.
9: “Now, children, I give you this command: serve God faithfully and do what is right before him; you must tell your children to do what is upright and to give alms, to be mindful of God and at all times to bless his name sincerely and with all their strength.
10: The day you bury your mother next to me, do not even stay overnight within the confines of the city. For I see that people here shamelessly commit all sorts of wickedness and treachery. Think, my son, of all that Nadab did to Ahiqar, the very one who brought him up: Ahiqar went down alive into the earth! Yet God made Nadab’s disgraceful crime rebound against him. Ahiqar came out again into the light, but Nadab went into the everlasting darkness, for he had tried to kill Ahiqar. Because Ahiqar had given alms to me, he escaped from the deadly trap Nadab had set for him. But Nadab himself fell into the deadly trap, and it destroyed him.
11: So, my children, note well what almsgiving does, and also what wickedness does–it kills! But now my spirit is about to leave me.”
12: They placed him on his bed and he died; and he received an honorable burial. When Tobias’s mother died, he buried her next to his father. He then departed with his wife and children for Media, where he settled in Ecbatana with his father-in-law Raguel.
13: He took respectful care of his aging father-in-law and mother-in-law; and he buried them at Ecbatana in Media. Then he inherited Raguel’s estate as well as that of his father Tobit.
14: He died at the venerable age of a hundred and seventeen.
15: But before he died, he heard of the destruction of Nineveh and saw its effects. He witnessed the exile of the city’s inhabitants when Cyaxares, king of Media, led them captive into Media. Tobias praised God for all that he had done against the citizens of Nineveh and Assyria. Before dying he rejoiced over Nineveh’s destruction, and he blessed the Lord God forever and ever. Amen.

Day 129: Tobit 5 - 9

Chapter 5

1: Then Tobias answered his father Tobit, ‘I will do everything that you have commanded me, father; 

2: but how can I obtain the money from him, since he does not know me and I do not know him? What evidence  am I to give him so that he will recognize and trust me, and give me the money? Also, I do not know the roads to Media, or how to get there.’ 

3: Then Tobit answered his son Tobias, ‘He gave me his bond and I gave him my bond. I divided his in two; we each took one part, and I put one with the money. And now twenty years have passed since I left this money in trust. So now, my son, find yourself a trustworthy man to go with you, and we will pay him wages until you return. But get back the money from Gabael.’

4: So Tobias went out to look for a man to go with him to Media, someone who was acquainted with the way. He went out and found the angel Raphael standing in front of him; but he did not perceive that he was an angel of God. 

5: Tobias  said to him, ‘Where do you come from, young man?’ ‘From your kindred, the Israelites,’ he replied, ‘and I have come here to work.’ Then Tobias said to him, ‘Do you know the way to go to Media?’ 

6:‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘I have been there many times; I am acquainted with it and know all the roads. I have often travelled to Media, and stayed with our kinsman Gabael who lives in Rages of Media. It is a journey of two days from Ecbatana to Rages; for it lies in a mountainous area, while Ecbatana is in the middle of the plain.’ 

7: Then Tobias said to him, ‘Wait for me, young man, until I go in and tell my father; for I do need you to travel with me, and I will pay you your wages.’ 

8: He replied, ‘All right, I will wait; but do not take too long.’

9: So Tobias went in to tell his father Tobit and said to him, ‘I have just found a man who is one of our own Israelite kindred!’ He replied, ‘Call the man in, my son, so that I may learn about his family and to what tribe he belongs, and whether he is trustworthy enough to go with you.’

10: Then Tobias went out and called him, and said, ‘Young man, my father is calling for you.’ So he went in to him, and Tobit greeted him first. He replied, ‘Joyous greetings to you!’ But Tobit retorted, ‘What joy is left for me anymore? I am a man without eyesight; I cannot see the light of heaven, but I lie in darkness like the dead who no longer see the light. Although still alive, I am among the dead. I hear people but I cannot see them.’ But the young man said, ‘Take courage; the time is near for God to heal you; take courage.’ Then Tobit said to him, ‘My son Tobias wishes to go to Media. Can you accompany him and guide him? I will pay your wages, brother.’ He answered, ‘I can go with him and I know all the roads, for I have often gone to Media and have crossed all its plains, and I am familiar with its mountains and all of its roads.’

11: Then Tobit said to him, ‘Brother, of what family are you and from what tribe? Tell me, brother.’

12: He replied, ‘Why do you need to know my tribe?’ But Tobit said, ‘I want to be sure, brother, whose son you are and what your name is.’ 

13: He replied, ‘I am Azariah, the son of the great Hananiah, one of your relatives.’ 

14: Then Tobit said to him, ‘Welcome! God save you, brother. Do not feel bitter towards me, brother, because I wanted to be sure about your ancestry. It turns out that you are a kinsman, and of good and noble lineage. For I knew Hananiah and Nathan, the two sons of Shemeliah, and they used to go with me to Jerusalem and worshipped with me there, and were not led astray. Your kindred are good people; you come of good stock. Hearty welcome!

15: Then he added, ‘I will pay you a drachma a day as wages, as well as expenses for yourself and my son. So go with my son, 

16: and I will add something to your wages.’ Raphael answered, ‘I will go with him; so do not fear. We shall leave in good health and return to you in good health, because the way is safe.’ 

17: So Tobit said to him, ‘Blessings be upon you, brother.’ Then he called his son and said to him, ‘Son, prepare supplies for the journey and set out with your brother. May God in heaven bring you safely there and return you in good health to me; and may his angel, my son, accompany you both for your safety.’ Before he went out to start his journey, he kissed his father and mother. Tobit then said to him, ‘Have a safe journey.’

18: But his mother began to weep, and said to Tobit, ‘Why is it that you have sent my child away? Is he not the staff of our hand as he goes in and out before us? 

19: Do not heap money upon money, but let it be a ransom for our child. -

20: For the life that is given to us by the Lord is enough for us.’ 

21: Tobit said to her, ‘Do not worry; our child will leave in good health and return to us in good health. Your eyes will see him on the day when he returns to you in good health. Say no more! Do not fear for them, my sister. 

22: For a good angel will accompany him; his journey will be successful, and he will come back in good health.’

Chapter 6

1: So she stopped weeping. The young man went out and the angel went with him; 

2: and the dog came out with him and went along with them. So they both journeyed along, and when the first night overtook them they camped by the Tigris river. 

3: Then the young man went down to wash his feet in the Tigris river. Suddenly a large fish leapt up from the water and tried to swallow the young man’s foot, and he cried out. 

4: But the angel said to the young man, ‘Catch hold of the fish and hang on to it!’ So the young man grasped the fish and drew it up on the land. 

5: Then the angel said to him, ‘Cut open the fish and take out its gall, heart, and liver. Keep them with you, but throw away the intestines. For its gall, heart, and liver are useful as medicine.’ 

6: So after cutting open the fish the young man gathered together the gall, heart, and liver; then he roasted and ate some of the fish, and kept some to be salted.The two continued on their way together until they were near Media.

7: Then the young man questioned the angel and said to him, ‘Brother Azariah, what medicinal value is there in the fish’s heart and liver, and in the gall?’ 

8: He replied, ‘As for the fish’s heart and liver, you must burn them to make a smoke in the presence of a man or woman afflicted by a demon or evil spirit, and every affliction will flee away and never remain with that person any longer. 

9: And as for the gall, anoint a person’s eyes where white films have appeared on them; blow upon them, upon the white films, and the eyes will be healed.’

10: When he entered Media and already was approaching Ecbatana,

11: Raphael said to the young man, ‘Brother Tobias.’ ‘Here I am,’ he answered. Then Raphael said to him, ‘We must stay this night in the home of Raguel. He is your relative, and he has a daughter named Sarah. 

12: He has no male heir and no daughter except Sarah only, and you, as next of kin to her, have before all other men a hereditary claim on her. Also it is right for you to inherit her father’s possessions. Moreover, the girl is sensible, brave, and very beautiful, and her father is a good man.’ 

13: He continued, ‘You have every right to take her in marriage. So listen to me, brother; tonight I will speak to her father about the girl, so that we may take her to be your bride. When we return from Rages we will celebrate her marriage. For I know that Raguel can by no means keep her from you or promise her to another man without incurring the penalty of death according to the decree of the book of Moses. Indeed he knows that you, rather than any other man, are entitled to marry his daughter. So now listen to me, brother, and tonight we shall speak concerning the girl and arrange her engagement to you. And when we return from Rages we will take her and bring her back with us to your house.’

14: Then Tobias said in answer to Raphael, ‘Brother Azariah, I have heard that she already has been married to seven husbands and that they died in the bridal chamber. On the night when they went in to her, they would die. I have heard people saying that it was a demon that killed them. 

15: It does not harm her, but it kills anyone who desires to approach her. So now, since I am the only son my father has, I am afraid that I may die and bring my father’s and mother’s life down to their grave, grieving for me - and they have no other son to bury them.’

16: But Raphael said to him, ‘Do you not remember your father’s orders when he commanded you to take a wife from your father’s house? Now listen to me, brother, and say no more about this demon. Take her. I know that this very night she will be given to you in marriage. 

17: When you enter the bridal chamber, take some of the fish’s liver and heart, and put them on the embers of the incense. An odour will be given off;

18: the demon will smell it and flee, and will never be seen near her any more. Now when you are about to go to bed with her, both of you must first stand up and pray, imploring the Lord of heaven that mercy and safety may be granted to you. Do not be afraid, for she was set apart for you before the world was made. You will save her, and she will go with you. I presume that you will have children by her, and they will be as brothers to you. Now say no more!’ When Tobias heard the words of Raphael and learned that she was his kinswoman, related through his father’s lineage, he loved her very much, and his heart was drawn to her. 

Chapter 7

1: When they entered Ecbatana, Tobias said, “Brother Azariah, lead me straight to our kinsman Raguel.” So he brought him to the house of Raguel, whom they found seated by his courtyard gate. They greeted him first. He said to them, “Greetings to you too, brothers! Good health to you, and welcome!” When he brought them into his home,

2: he said to his wife Edna, “This young man looks just like my kinsman Tobit!”

3: So Edna asked them, “Who are you, brothers?” They answered, “We are of the exiles from Naphtali at Nineveh.”

4: She said, “Do you know our kinsman Tobit?” They answered, “Indeed we do!” She asked, “Is he well?”

5: They answered, “Yes, he is alive and well.” Then Tobias exclaimed, “He is my father!”

6: Raguel sprang up and kissed him, shedding tears of joy.

7: But when he heard that Tobit had lost his eyesight, he was grieved and wept aloud. He said to Tobias: “My child, God blesses you! You are the son of a noble and good father. But what a terrible misfortune that such a righteous and charitable man should be afflicted with blindness!” He continued to weep in the arms of his kinsman Tobias.

8: His wife Edna also wept for Tobit; and even their daughter Sarah began to weep.

9: Afterward, Raguel slaughtered a ram from the flock and gave them a cordial reception. When they had bathed and reclined to eat, Tobias said to Raphael, “Brother Azariah, ask Raguel to let me marry my kinswoman Sarah.”

10: Raguel overheard the words; so he said to the boy: “Eat and drink and be merry tonight, for no man is more entitled to marry my daughter Sarah than you, brother. Besides, not even I have the right to give her to anyone but you, because you are my closest relative. But I will explain the situation to you very frankly.

11: I have given her in marriage to seven men, all of whom were kinsmen of ours, and all died on the very night they approached her. But now, son, eat and drink. I am sure the Lord will look after you both.” Tobias answered, “I will eat or drink nothing until you set aside what belongs to me.” Raguel said to him: “I will do it. She is yours according to the decree of the Book of Moses. Your marriage to her has been decided in heaven! Take your kinswoman; from now on you are her love, and she is your beloved. She is yours today and ever after. And tonight, son, may the Lord of heaven prosper you both. May he grant you mercy and peace.”

12: Then Raguel called his daughter Sarah, and she came to him. He took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias with the words: “Take her according to the law. According to the decree written in the Book of Moses she is your wife. Take her and bring her back safely to your father. And may the God of heaven grant both of you peace and prosperity.”

13: He then called her mother and told her to bring a scroll, so that he might draw up a marriage contract stating that he gave Sarah to Tobias as his wife according to the decree of the Mosaic law. Her mother brought the scroll, and he drew up the contract, to which they affixed their seals.

14: Afterward they began to eat and drink.

15: Later Raguel called his wife Edna and said, “My love, prepare the other bedroom and bring the girl there.”

16: She went and made the bed in the room, as she was told, and brought the girl there. After she had cried over her, she wiped away the tears and said:

17: “Be brave, my daughter. May the Lord of heaven grant you joy in place of your grief. Courage, my daughter.” Then she left.

Chapter 8

1: When they had finished eating and drinking, the girl’s parents wanted to retire. They brought the young man out of the dining room and led him into the bedroom.

2: At this point Tobias, mindful of Raphael’s instructions, took the fish’s liver and heart from the bag which he had with him, and placed them on the embers for the incense.

3: The demon, repelled by the odor of the fish, fled into Upper Egypt; Raphael pursued him there and bound him hand and foot. Then Raphael returned immediately.

4: When the girl’s parents left the bedroom and closed the door behind them, Tobias arose from bed and said to his wife, “My love, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and to grant us deliverance.”

5: She got up, and they started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs. He began with these words: “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever.

6: You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.’

7: Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age.”

8: They said together, “Amen, amen,”

9: and went to bed for the night. But Raguel got up and summoned his servants. With him they went out to dig a grave,

10: for he said, “I must do this, because if Tobias should die, we would be subjected to ridicule and insult.”

11: When they had finished digging the grave, Raguel went back into the house and called his wife,

12: saying, “Send one of the maids in to see whether Tobias is alive or dead, so that if necessary we may bury him without anyone’s knowing about it.”

13: She sent the maid, who lit a lamp, opened the bedroom door, went in, and found them sound asleep together.

14: The maid went out and told the girl’s parents that Tobias was alive, and that there was nothing wrong.

15: Then Raguel praised the God of heaven in these words: “Blessed are you, O God, with every holy and pure blessing! Let all your chosen ones praise you; let them bless you forever!

16: Blessed are you, who have made me glad; what I feared did not happen. Rather you have dealt with us according to your great mercy.

17: Blessed are you, for you were merciful toward two only children. Grant them, Master, mercy and deliverance, and bring their lives to fulfillment with happiness and mercy.”

18: Then he told his servants to fill in the grave before dawn.

19: He asked his wife to bake many loaves of bread; he himself went out to the herd and picked out two steers and four rams which he ordered to be slaughtered. So the servants began to prepare the feast.

20: He summoned Tobias and made an oath in his presence, saying: “For fourteen days you shall not stir from here, but shall remain here eating and drinking with me; and you shall bring joy to my daughter’s sorrowing spirit.

21: Take, to begin with, half of whatever I own when you go back in good health to your father; the other half will be yours when I and my wife die. Be of good cheer, my son! I am your father, and Edna is your mother; and we belong to you and to your beloved now and forever. So be happy, son!”

Chapter 9

1: Then Tobias called Raphael and said to him:

2: “Brother Azariah, take along with you four servants and two camels and travel to Rages. Go to Gabael’s house and give him this bond. Get the money and then bring him along with you to the wedding celebration.

3: You witnessed the oath that Raguel has sworn; I cannot violate his oath.”

4: For you know that my father is counting the days. If I should delay my return by a single day, I would cause him intense grief.

5: So Raphael, together with the four servants and two camels, traveled to Rages in Media, where they stayed at Gabael’s house. Raphael gave Gabael his bond and told him about Tobit’s son Tobias, and that he had married and was inviting him to the wedding celebration. Gabael promptly checked over the sealed moneybags, and they placed them on the camels.

6: The following morning they got an early start and traveled to the wedding celebration. When they entered Raguel’s house, they found Tobias reclining at table. He sprang up and greeted Gabael, who wept and blessed him, exclaiming: “O noble and good child, son of a noble and good, upright and charitable man, may the Lord grant heavenly blessing to you and to your wife, and to your wife’s father and mother. Blessed be God, because I have seen the very image of my cousin Tobit!”