Tobit Gives Instructions to His Son

4 On that day Tobit remembered the money which he had left in trust with Gab′ael at Rages in Media, and he said to himself: ² “I have asked for death. Why do I not call my son Tobi′as so that I may explain to him about the money^[a] before I die?” ³ So he called him and said, “My son, when I die, bury me, and do not neglect your mother. Honor her all the days of your life; do what is pleasing to her, and do not grieve her. ⁴ Remember, my son, that she faced many dangers for you while you were yet unborn. When she dies, bury her beside me in the same grave.

⁵ “Remember the Lord our God all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing. ⁶ For if you do what is true, your ways will prosper through your deeds. ⁷ Give alms from your possessions to all who live uprightly, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from any poor man, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. ⁸ If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have. ⁹ So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. ¹⁰ For charity^[b] delivers from death and keeps you from entering the darkness; ¹¹ and for all who practice it charity is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High.

¹² “Beware, my son, of all immorality.^[c] First of all take a wife from among the descendants of your fathers and do not marry a foreign woman, who is not of your father’s tribe; for we are the sons of the prophets. Remember, my son, that Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers of old, all took wives from among their brethren. They were blessed in their children, and their posterity will inherit the land. ¹³ So now, my son, love your brethren, and in your heart do not disdain your brethren and the sons and daughters of your people by refusing to take a wife for yourself from among them. For in pride there is ruin and great confusion; and in shiftlessness there is loss and great want, because shiftlessness is the mother of famine. ¹⁴ Do not hold over till the next day the wages of any man who works for you, but pay him at once; and if you serve God you will receive payment.

“Watch yourself, my son, in everything you do, and be disciplined in all your conduct. ¹⁵ And what you hate, do not do to any one. Do not drink wine to excess or let drunkenness go with you on your way. ¹⁶ Give of your bread to the hungry, and of your clothing to the naked. Give all your surplus to charity, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you made it. ¹⁷ Place your bread^[d] on the grave of the righteous, but give none to sinners. ¹⁸ Seek advice from every wise man, and do not despise any useful counsel. ¹⁹ Bless the Lord God on every occasion; ask him that your ways may be made straight and that all your paths and plans may prosper. For none of the nations has understanding; but the Lord himself gives all good things, and according to his will he humbles whomever he wishes.

Money Left in Trust with Gabael

“So, my son, remember my commands, and do not let them be blotted out of your mind. ²⁰ And now let me explain to you about the ten talents of silver which I left in trust with Gab′ael the son of Gabri′as at Rages in Media. ²¹ Do not be afraid, my son, because we have become poor. You have great wealth if you fear God and refrain from every sin and do what is pleasing in his sight.”

The Angel Raph′ael

5 Then Tobi′as answered him, “Father, I will do everything that you have commanded me; ² but how can I obtain the money when I do not know the man?” ³ Then Tobit gave him the receipt, and said to him, “Find a man to go with you and I will pay him wages as long as I live; and go and get the money.” ⁴ So he went to look for a man; and he found Raph′ael, who was an angel, ⁵ but Tobi′as^[e] did not know it. Tobi′as^[f] said to him, “Can you go with me to Rages in Media? Are you acquainted with that region?” ⁶ The angel replied, “I will go with you; I am familiar with the way, and I have stayed with our brother Gab′ael.” ⁷ Then Tobi′as said to him, “Wait for me, and I shall tell my father.” ⁸ And he said to him, “Go, and do not delay.” So he went in and said to his father, “I have found some one to go with me.” He said, “Call him to me, so that I may learn to what tribe he belongs, and whether he is a reliable man to go with you.”

⁹ So Tobi′as^[g] invited him in; he entered and they greeted each other. ¹⁰ Then Tobit said to him, “My brother, to what tribe and family do you belong? Tell me.” ¹¹ But he answered, “Are you looking for a tribe and a family or for a man whom you will pay to go with your son?” And Tobit said to him, “I should like to know, my brother, your people and your name.” ¹² He replied, “I am Azari′as the son of the great Anani′as, one of your relatives.” ¹³ Then Tobit said to him, “You are welcome, my brother. Do not be angry with me because I tried to learn your tribe and family. You are a relative of mine, of a good and noble lineage. For I used to know Anani′as and Jathan, the sons of the great Shema′iah, when we went together to Jerusalem to worship and offered the first-born of our flocks and the tithes of our produce. They did not go astray in the error of our brethren. My brother, you come of good stock. ¹⁴ But tell me, what wages am I to pay you—a drachma a day, and expenses for yourself as for my son? ¹⁵ And besides, I will add to your wages if you both return safe and sound.” So they agreed to these terms.

¹⁶ Then he said to Tobi′as, “Get ready for the journey, and good success to you both.” So his son made the preparations for the journey. And his father said to him, “Go with this man; God who dwells in heaven will prosper your way, and may his angel attend you.” So they both went out and departed, and the young man’s dog was with them.

¹⁷ But Anna,^[h] his mother, began to weep, and said to Tobit, “Why have you sent our child away? Is he not the staff of our hands as he goes in and out before us? ¹⁸ Do not add money to money, but consider it as rubbish as compared to our child. ¹⁹ For the life that is given to us by the Lord is enough for us.” ²⁰ And Tobit said to her, “Do not 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 successful, and he will come back safe and sound.” ²² So she stopped weeping.

Journey to Rages

6 Now as they proceeded on their way they came at evening to the Tigris river and camped there. ² Then the young man went down to wash himself. A fish leaped up from the river and would have swallowed the young man; ³ and the angel said to him, “Catch the fish.” So the young man seized the fish and threw it up on the land. ⁴ Then the angel said to him, “Cut open the fish and take the heart and liver and gall and put them away safely.” ⁵ So the young man did as the angel told him; and they roasted and ate the fish.

And they both continued on their way until they came near to Ecbat′ana. ⁶ Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azari′as, of what use is the liver and heart and gall of the fish?” ⁷ He replied, “As for the heart and the liver, if a demon or evil spirit gives trouble to any one, you make a smoke from these before the man or woman, and that person will never be troubled again. ⁸ And as for the gall, anoint with it a man who has white films in his eyes, and he will be cured.”

Raph′ael’s Instructions

⁹ When they approached Ecbat′ana,^{[i] 10} the angel said to the young man, “Brother, today we shall stay with Rag′uel. He is your relative, and he has an only daughter named Sarah. I will suggest that she be given to you in marriage, ¹¹ because you are entitled to her and to her inheritance, for you are her only eligible kinsman. ¹² The girl is also beautiful and sensible. Now listen to my plan. I will speak to her father, and as soon as we return from Rages we will celebrate the marriage. For I know that Rag′uel, according to the law of Moses, cannot give her to another man without incurring the penalty of death, because you rather than any other man are entitled to the inheritance.”

¹³ Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azari′as, I have heard that the girl has been given to seven husbands and that each died in the bridal chamber. ¹⁴ Now I am the only son my father has, and I am afraid that if I go in I will die as those before me did, for a demon is in love with her, and he harms no one except those who approach her. So now I fear that I may die and bring the lives of my father and mother to the grave in sorrow on my account. And they have no other son to bury them.”

^15 [j]But the angel said to him, “Do you not remember the words with which your father commanded you to take a wife from among your own people? Now listen to me, brother, for she will become your wife; and do not worry about the demon, for this very night she will be given to you in marriage. ¹⁶ When you enter the bridal chamber, you shall take live ashes of incense and lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish so as to make a smoke. ¹⁷ Then the demon will smell it and flee away, and will never again return. And when you approach her, rise up, both of you, and cry out to the merciful God, and he will save you and have mercy on you. Do not be afraid, for she was destined for you from eternity. You will save her, and she will go with you, and I suppose that you will have children by her.” When Tobi′as heard these things, he fell in love with her and yearned deeply for her.

Breaking with the Past

3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not irksome to me, and is safe for you.

² Look out for the dogs, look out for the evil-workers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. ³ For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in spirit,^[a] and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. ⁴ Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee, ⁶ as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law blameless. ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing toward the Goal

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.^{[b] 13} Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

¹⁷ Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. ¹⁸ For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.^{[c] 20} But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.