Tobit 6-10

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

6 ¹ So she stopped weeping.

Journey to Rages

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.^{(A) 3} Then the young man went down to wash his feet in the Tigris River, and a large fish leaped 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 for the journey.^[a]

The two continued on their way together until they were near Media.^{(B) 7} Then the young man questioned the angel and said to him, “Azariah, my brother, 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.^{(C) 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^[b] will be healed.”^(D)

Raphael’s Instructions

¹⁰ When they entered Media and were already approaching Ecbatana,^{(E) 11} Raphael said to the young man, “Tobias, my brother.” “Here I am,” he answered. Then Raphael^[c] said to him, “We must stay this night in the home of Raguel. That man is your relative, and he has a daughter named Sarah.^{(F) 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 young woman is intelligent, brave, and very beautiful, and her father is a good man.”^{(G) 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 young woman, so that we may take her to be your bride. When we return from Rages^[d] 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 young woman 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.”^(H)

¹⁴ Then Tobias said in answer to Raphael, “Azariah, my brother, 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. And I have heard some say that a demon kills them.^{[e](I) 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 lives down to their graves, grieving for me—and they have no other son to bury them.”^(J)

¹⁶ But Raphael^[f] 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.^{(K) 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 odor will be given off;^{(L) 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 has always been set apart for you. You will save her, and she will go with you. I know that you will have children by her, and they will be as brothers and sisters to you. Now say no more!” When Tobias heard the words of Raphael and learned that she was his sister, related through his father’s lineage, he loved her very much, and his heart was drawn to her.^(M)

Arrival at Home of Raguel

7 Now when they^[g] entered Ecbatana, Tobias^[h] said to him, “Azariah, my brother, take me straight to our brother Raguel.” So he took him to Raguel’s house, where they found him sitting beside the courtyard door. They greeted him first, and he replied, “Many greetings, my brothers; welcome and good health!” Then he brought them into his house.^{(N) 2} He said to his wife Edna, “How much this young man resembles my kinsman Tobit!”^{(O) 3} Then Edna questioned them, saying, “Where are you from, my brothers?” They answered her, “We belong to the descendants of Naphtali who are exiles in Nineveh.”^{(P) 4} She said to them, “Do you know our kinsman Tobit?” And they replied, “Yes, we know him.” Then she asked them, “Is he in good health?”^{(Q) 5} They replied, “He is alive and in good health.” And Tobias added, “He is my father!”^{(R) 6} At that Raguel jumped up and kissed him and wept. ⁷ He also spoke to him as follows, “Blessings on you, my son, offspring of a good and noble father! O most miserable of calamities that such an upright and beneficent man has become blind!” He then embraced his kinsman Tobias and wept.^{(S) 8} His wife Edna also wept for him, and their daughter Sarah likewise wept. ⁹ Then Raguel^[i] slaughtered a ram from the flock and received them very warmly.

Marriage of Tobias and Sarah

When they had bathed and washed themselves and had reclined to dine, Tobias said to Raphael, “Azariah, my brother, ask Raguel to give me my sister Sarah.”^{(T) 10} But Raguel overheard it and said to the young man, “Eat and drink, and be merry tonight. For no one except you, brother, has the right to marry my daughter Sarah. Likewise I am not at liberty to give her to any other man than you because you are my nearest relative. But let me explain to you the true situation more fully, my son.^{(U) 11} I have given her to seven men of our kinsmen, and all died on the night when they went in to her. But now, my son, eat and drink, and the Lord will act on behalf of you both.” But Tobias said, “I will neither eat nor drink anything until you settle the things that pertain to me.” So Raguel said, “I will do so. She is given to you in accordance with the decree in the book of Moses, and it has been decreed from heaven that she be given to you. Take your sister; from now on you are her brother, and she is your sister. She is given to you from today and forever. May the Lord of heaven, my son, guide and prosper you both this night and grant you mercy and peace.”^{(V) 12} Then Raguel summoned his daughter Sarah. When she came to him, he took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias,^[j] saying, “Take her to be your wife in accordance with the law and decree written in the book of Moses. Take her and bring her safely to your father. And may the God of heaven let your journey go smoothly and in his peace.”^{(W) 13} Then he called her mother and told her to bring writing material, and he wrote out a copy of a marriage contract, to the effect that he gave her to him as wife according to the decree of the law of Moses.^{[k](X) 14} Then they began to eat and drink.

¹⁵ Raguel called his wife Edna and said to her, “Sister, get the other room ready, and take her there.”^{(Y) 16} So she went and made the bed in the room as he had told her and brought Sarah^[l] there. She wept for her daughter.^[m] Then, wiping away the tears, she said to her, “Take courage, my daughter; the Lord of heaven grant you joy in place of your sorrow. Take courage, my daughter.” Then she went out.^(Z)

Tobias Routs the Demon

8 When they had finished eating and drinking, they wanted to retire, so they took the young man and brought him into the bedroom. ² Then Tobias remembered the words of Raphael, and he took the fish’s liver and heart out of the bag where he had them and put them on the embers of the incense.^{(AA) 3} The odor of the fish so repelled the demon that he fled to the remotest parts^[n] of Egypt. But Raphael followed him and at once bound him there hand and foot.^(AB)

⁴ When the parents^[o] had gone out and shut the door of the room, Tobias got out of bed and said to Sarah,^[p] “Sister, get up, and let us pray and implore our Lord that he grant us mercy and safety.”^{(AC) 5} So she got up, and they began to pray and implore that they might be kept safe. Tobias^[q] began by saying,

⁸ And they both together said, “Amen, Amen.” ⁹ Then they went to sleep for the night.

But Raguel arose and called his servants to him, and they went and dug a grave, ¹⁰ for he said, “It is possible that he will die, and we will become an object of ridicule and derision.” ¹¹ When they had finished digging the grave, Raguel went into his house and called his wife, ¹² saying, “Send one of the female slaves and have her go in to see if he is alive. But if he is dead, let us bury him without anyone knowing it.”^{(AF) 13} So they sent the female slave, lit a lamp, and opened the door; and she went in and found them lying in bed asleep together. ¹⁴ Then the female slave came out and informed them that he was alive and that nothing was wrong. ¹⁵ So they blessed the God of heaven, and Raguel^[r] said,

¹⁸ Then he ordered his servants to fill in the grave before daybreak.

Wedding Feast

¹⁹ After this he asked his wife to bake many loaves of bread, and he went out to the herd and brought two steers and four rams and ordered them to be slaughtered. So they began to make preparations.^{(AJ) 20} Then he called for Tobias and^[t] said to him: “You shall not leave here for fourteen days but shall stay here eating and drinking with me, and you shall cheer up my daughter, who has been depressed.^{(AK) 21} Take at once half of what I own and return in safety to your father; the other half will be yours when my wife and I die. Take courage, my son. I am your father, and Edna is your mother, and we belong to you as well as to your sister now and forever. Take courage, my son.”^(AL)

The Money Recovered

9 Then Tobias called Raphael and said to him,^{(AM) 2} “Azariah, my brother, take four servants and two camels with you and travel to Rages. Go to the home of Gabael, give him the bond, get the money, and then bring him with you to the wedding celebration.^{(AN) 4} For you know that my father must be counting the days, and if I delay even one day I will upset him very much.^{(AO) 3} You are witness to the oath Raguel has sworn, and I cannot violate his oath.”^{[u](AP) 5} So Raphael with the four servants and two camels went to Rages in Media and stayed with Gabael. Raphael^[v] gave him the bond and informed him that Tobit’s son Tobias had married and was inviting him to the wedding celebration. So Gabael^[w] got up and counted out to him the money bags, with their seals intact, and they put them together.^{(AQ) 6} In the morning they both got up early and went to the wedding celebration. When they came into Raguel’s house, they found Tobias reclining at table. He sprang up and greeted Gabael,^[x] who wept and blessed him with the words, “Good and noble son of a father good and noble, upright and generous! May the Lord grant the blessing of heaven to you and your wife and to your father and to the mother of your wife. Blessed be God, for I see in Tobias the very image of my cousin Tobit.”^(AR)

Anxiety of the Parents

10 Now day by day Tobit kept counting how many days Tobias^[y] would need for going and for returning. And when the days had passed and his son did not appear,^{(AS) 2} he said, “Is it possible that he has been detained? Or that Gabael has died, 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 and mourn for her son, saying, ⁵ “Woe to me, my child, the light of my eyes, that I let you make the journey.”^{(AT) 6} But Tobit kept saying to her, “Be quiet and stop worrying, my sister; he is all right. Something must have happened to delay them. The man who went with him is trustworthy and is one of our own kin. Do not grieve for him, my sister; he will be here soon.” ⁷ She answered him, “Be quiet yourself! Stop trying to deceive me! My son has perished.” She would rush out every day and watch the road her son had taken and would heed no one.^[z] When the sun had set she would go in and mourn and weep all night long, getting no sleep.

Tobias and Sarah Start for Home

Now when the fourteen days of the wedding celebration had ended that Raguel had sworn to observe for his daughter, Tobias came to him and said, “Send me back, for I know that my father and mother do not believe that they will see me again. So I beg of you, father, to let me go so that I may return to my own father. I have already explained to you how I left him.”^{(AU) 8} But Raguel said to Tobias, “Stay, my son, stay with me; I will send messengers to your father Tobit, and they will inform him about you.” ⁹ But he said to him, “No! I beg you to send me back to my father.” ¹⁰ So Raguel stood and gave Tobias his wife Sarah, as well as half of all his property: male and female slaves, oxen and sheep, donkeys and camels, clothing, money, and household goods.^{(AV) 11} Then he saw them safely off; he embraced Tobias^[aa] and said to him, “Farewell, my son; have a safe journey. The Lord of heaven prosper you and your wife Sarah, and may I see children of yours before I die.” ¹² Then he said to his daughter Sarah, “My daughter, go to your father-in-law and your mother-in-law,^[ab] since from now on they are as much your parents as those who gave you birth. Go in peace, daughter, and may I hear a good report about you as long as I live.” Then he bade them farewell and let them go. Then Edna said to Tobias, “My child and dear brother, the Lord of heaven bring you back safely, and may I live long enough to see children from you and of my daughter Sarah before I die. In the sight of the Lord I entrust my daughter to you; do nothing to make her unhappy all the days of your life. Go in peace, my son. From now on I am your mother, and Sarah is your sister. May we all prosper together all the days of our lives.” Then she kissed them both and saw them safely off.^{(AW) 13} Tobias parted from Raguel with happiness and joy, praising the Lord of heaven and earth, King over all, because he had made his journey a success, and he blessed Raguel and his wife Edna and said,^[ac] “May it come to pass that I honor^[ad] them all the days of their lives.”^[ae]