Tobit 6

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 6

Catch of a Large Fish. ¹The youth left together with the angel, ²and the dog followed them out of the house and accompanied them. They journeyed until nightfall and then camped beside the Tigris River. ³When the youth went down to bathe his feet in the river, a large fish leapt out of the water and tried to swallow his foot. He cried out, ⁴but the angel said, “Take hold of the fish and don’t let it escape.” The youth took hold of the fish and pulled it to the shore. ⁵The angel then said to him, “Cut the fish up and take out its gall, heart, and liver. Keep them with you, and throw out the entrails, for the gall, heart, and liver can be used as medicines.” ⁶The youth cut the fish up and set aside the gall, heart, and liver. He broiled and ate part of the fish, salting the rest so that it could be used on the journey. Afterward they continued their travels together until they drew near to Media.

⁷Then the youth posed this question to the angel: “Brother Azariah, what medicinal value can there be in the heart, liver, and gall of the fish?” ⁸^[a]He replied, “As far as the heart and liver are concerned, when you burn them and the smoke rises in the presence of someone, man or woman, who is afflicted by a demon or an evil spirit, that affliction will disappear for good and will never plague that person again. ⁹As regards the gall, if you anoint the eyes of someone where white patches have appeared on them and then blow on those patches, the eyes will be healed.”

¹⁰Raphael’s Counsels. When they had entered Media and were drawing near to Ecbatana, ¹¹Raphael said to the youth, “Brother Tobiah!” He answered, “Here I am.” Raphael went on: “Tonight we must stay in the home of Raguel who is a relative of yours. He has a daughter named Sarah, ¹²but aside from her he has no other son or daughter. Since you are her next of kin, you above all others have the right to marry her and to inherit her father’s goods. This girl is sensible, brave, and very beautiful, and her father is a fine man.”

¹³He continued: “Since you have the right to marry her, listen to me, brother. Tonight I will speak to her father and secure his approval to have her betrothed to you. When we return from Rages, we will hold her marriage celebration. I know that Raguel has no right to refuse your request or to betroth her to another man without incurring the death penalty as decreed in the Book of Moses. He clearly understands that you above all other men have the right to marry his daughter.

“So listen to me, brother. Tonight we will speak about the girl and arrange for her to be betrothed to you. And when we return from Rages, we will take her with us and bring her to your home.”

¹⁴However, in reply to Raphael, Tobiah said, “Brother Azariah, I have heard that she has already been given in marriage seven times, and that each of her husbands died in the bridal chamber. The very night that they entered her room, they died, and I have heard people claim that it was a demon who killed them. ¹⁵Therefore, I am afraid. The demon does not harm her because he loves her, but he kills any man who tries to approach her. I am my father’s only son, and if I should die, I fear that the resulting grief would bring my father and mother to their grave—and they have no other son to bury them.”

¹⁶Raphael retorted, “Have you forgotten your father’s instructions to take a wife from his family? Now listen to me, brother. Do not worry about this demon. Take Sarah in marriage. I know that this very night she will be given to you in marriage. ¹⁷When you enter the bridal chamber, take some of the heart and liver of the fish and place them on the burning incense. ¹⁸When the demon smells the odor that will arise, he will flee, and never again will he be seen near her.

“Then, before you go to bed with her, both of you must first stand up and pray. Beseech the Lord of heaven to grant you his mercy and protection. Do not be afraid; she was set apart for you before the world was created. You will save her, and she will go with you. Undoubtedly by her you will have children who will be like brothers to you. Do not worry!”

When Tobiah heard Raphael’s words and learned that Sarah was his kinswoman, related through his father’s lineage, he was filled with love for her, and his heart became set on her.^[b]

Footnotes

Tobit 6:8 See verse 17 and especially Tob 8:3; 11:4, 11f. The therapeutic powers of the entrails of fish were recognized by ancient medicine, but here, it is a question of the divine assistance through the medium of the angel.
Tobit 6:18 The Vulgate develops these concepts further: the angel instructs Tobiah to abstain for the first three nights; then to come together with his bride because of the desire for children more than the desire to follow the sexual impulse.

'Tobit 6 ' not found for the version: English Standard Version.

Tobit 6

Common English Bible

6 Then she calmed down and stopped crying.

Tobias and Raphael at the Tigris River

²So their son departed, with the angel alongside him. Tobias’ dog also went with him and accompanied them on the journey. They both journeyed until the first night fell upon them, and they set up camp along the Tigris River.

³Now the lad went down to the Tigris River to wash his feet. Suddenly,^[a] a massive fish leaped up out of the water and tried to swallow the lad’s foot, and he cried out. ⁴The angel said to him, “Grab the fish and hang on to it.” So Tobias hung on to the fish and brought it up onto the dry ground. ⁵The angel said to him, “Cut open the fish and remove its gallbladder, heart, and liver and keep them with you, and throw away the guts. Its gallbladder, heart, and liver are useful medicines.”

⁶So Tobias cut open the fish and gathered up the gallbladder, heart, and liver. He cooked the fish and ate it; and the remaining part of it, which he salted, he put aside. Then they both journeyed together until they approached Media. ⁷Tobias asked the angel, “Brother Azariah, what medicine is there in the fish’s heart, liver, and gallbladder?”

⁸Raphael replied, “If you burn the fish’s heart and liver in the presence of a man or woman under attack by a demon or evil spirit, the spirit will flee and never bother that person again. ⁹As for the gallbladder, if you smear the gall on a person’s eyes in which white spots have appeared, and then blow on the white spots, the eyes will heal.”

Raphael instructs Tobias

¹⁰When he arrived in Media and was already coming within reach of Ecbatana, ¹¹Raphael said to the lad, “Tobias my brother!”

He replied, “I’m here!”

Raphael said, “Tonight we must lodge with Raguel your relative. He has a daughter named Sarah. ¹²Except for her, he has no other son or daughter. Of all men you are her closest relative. The right to inherit her and her father’s estate is yours. The girl is sensible, courageous, and very beautiful; moreover, her father loves her and^[b] is a good man.”

¹³He continued, “It’s right for you to marry her. So listen to me, brother: I’ll speak to her father about the girl tonight so that we can take her as a bride for you. And when we return from Rages,^[c] we will celebrate her wedding. I know that Raguel can’t keep her from you, nor can he promise her to someone else without incurring the death penalty according to the ruling of the scroll from Moses. He knows that the regulation for inheritance makes it fitting that you, rather than any other man, should marry his daughter. So now listen to me, brother: We will speak about the girl tonight and arrange for her engagement to you. When we return from Rages, we will take her and bring her back with us to your home.”

¹⁴Tobias said to Raphael, “Brother Azariah, I’ve heard that she has already been given to seven men and that they died in the bridal chamber. They dropped dead the very night they tried to have sex with her. I’ve heard people saying that a demon kills them. ¹⁵Now I’m also afraid, because the demon loves her and^[d] doesn’t harm her but kills anyone who desires to approach her. I’m my father’s only child, and I’m afraid^[e] that I will die and bring my father and mother down to their graves with grief over me. Moreover, they don’t have another son to bury them.”

¹⁶Raphael said to him, “Don’t you remember your father’s instructions, that you should take a wife from among your father’s relatives? Now listen to me, my brother: Don’t worry about this demon. Take her, for I know that tonight she will be given to you as your wife. ¹⁷When you enter into the bridal chamber, take some of the fish’s liver and heart and lay them over the warm incense coals. This will let off an odor, ¹⁸and the demon will smell it, flee, and never stalk her^[f] again. And before you have sex with her, the two of you must rise and pray and plead with the Lord of heaven for mercy and deliverance. So don’t be afraid; she has been assigned to you before the world came into being. You will save her, and she will go with you. I’m convinced that you will also have children by her, and they will be like brothers and sisters to you. So stop worrying.”

When Tobias heard Raphael’s words, and learned that she was his relative and descendant from his father’s house, he fell deeply in love with her and his heart was united with her.