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VIII. Tobit’s Song of Praise

Chapter 13

[a]Then Tobit spoke and composed a song of joyful praise; he said:

Blessed be God who lives forever,
    because his kingship lasts for all ages.(A)
For he afflicts and shows mercy,
    casts down to the depths of Hades,
    brings up from the great abyss.
What is there that can snatch from his hand?(B)

Give thanks to him, you Israelites, in the presence of the nations,
    for though he has scattered you among them,
    even there recount his greatness.
Exalt him before every living being,
    because he is your Lord, and he is your God,
    our Father and God forever and ever!
He will afflict you for your iniquities,
    but will have mercy on all of you.
He will gather you from all the nations
    among whom you have been scattered.(C)

When you turn back to him with all your heart,
    and with all your soul do what is right before him,
Then he will turn to you,
    and will hide his face from you no longer.(D)

Now consider what he has done for you,
    and give thanks with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness,
    and exalt the King of the ages.

In the land of my captivity I give thanks,
    and declare his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
According to your heart do what is right before him:
    perhaps there will be pardon for you.

As for me, I exalt my God,
    my soul exalts the King of heaven,
    and rejoices all the days of my life.
Let all sing praise to his greatness,
    let all speak and give thanks in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, holy city,
    he will afflict you for the works of your hands,[b]
    but will again pity the children of the righteous.(E)
10 Give thanks to the Lord with righteousness,
    and bless the King of the ages,
    so that your tabernacle may be rebuilt in you with joy.
May he gladden within you all who are captives;
    may he cherish within you all who are distressed
    for all generations to come.(F)

11 A bright light will shine to the limits of the earth.
    Many nations will come to you from afar,
And inhabitants of all the ends of the earth
    to your holy name,
Bearing in their hands gifts for the King of heaven.
Generation after generation will offer joyful worship in you;
    your name will be great forever and ever.(G)

12 Cursed be all who despise you and revile you;
    cursed be all who hate you and speak a harsh word against you;
    cursed be all who destroy you
    and pull down your walls,
And all who overthrow your towers
    and set fire to your homes.
    But blessed forever be all those who respect you.(H)

13 Go, then, rejoice and exult over the children of the righteous,
    for they will all be gathered together
    and will bless the Lord of the ages.
14 Happy are those who love you,
    and happy are those who rejoice in your peace.
Happy too are all who grieve
    over all your afflictions,
For they will rejoice over you
    and behold all your joy forever.(I)

15 My soul, bless the Lord, the great King;
16     for Jerusalem will be rebuilt as his house forever.
Happy too will I be if a remnant of my offspring survives
    to see your glory and to give thanks to the King of heaven!

The gates of Jerusalem will be built with sapphire and emerald,
    and all your walls with precious stones.
The towers of Jerusalem will be built with gold,
    and their battlements with purest gold.(J)
17 The streets of Jerusalem will be paved
    with rubies and stones of Ophir;
18 The gates of Jerusalem will sing hymns of gladness,
    and all its houses will cry out, Hallelujah!
Blessed be the God of Israel for all ages!
For in you the blessed will bless the holy name forever and ever.

Footnotes

  1. 13:1–18 Tobit’s hymn of praise is divided into two parts. The first part (vv. 1–8) is a song of praise that echoes themes from the psalms; the second (vv. 9–18) is addressed to Jerusalem in the style of those prophets who spoke of a new and ideal Jerusalem (Is 60; cf. Rev 21). Joyful praise: words for joy and gladness occur throughout this prayer (vv. 1, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18).
  2. 13:9 Works of your hands: idols.

Tobit’s Thanksgiving to God

13 Then Tobit wrote a prayer of rejoicing, and said:

“Blessed is God who lives for ever,
    and blessed is his kingdom.
For he afflicts, and he shows mercy;
    he leads down to Hades, and brings up again,
    and there is no one who can escape his hand.
Acknowledge him before the nations, O sons of Israel;
    for he has scattered us among them.
Make his greatness known there,
    and exalt him in the presence of all the living;
because he is our Lord and God,
    he is our Father for ever.
He will afflict us for our iniquities;
    and again he will show mercy,
and will gather us from all the nations
    among whom you[a] have been scattered.
If you turn to him with all your heart and with all your soul,
    to do what is true before him,
then he will turn to you
    and will not hide his face from you.
But see what he will do with you;
    give thanks to him with your full voice.
Praise the Lord of righteousness,
    and exalt the King of the ages.
I give him thanks in the land of my captivity,
    and I show his power and majesty to a nation of sinners.
Turn back, you sinners, and do right before him;
    who knows if he will accept you and have mercy on you?
I exalt my God;
    my soul exalts the King of heaven,
    and will rejoice in his majesty.
Let all men speak,
    and give him thanks in Jerusalem.
O Jerusalem, the holy city,
    he will afflict you for the deeds of your sons,
    but again he will show mercy to the sons of the righteous.
10 Give thanks worthily to the Lord,
    and praise the King of the ages,
    that his tent may be raised for you again with joy.
May he cheer those within you who are captives,
    and love those within you who are distressed,
    to all generations for ever.
11 Many nations will come from afar to the name of the Lord God,
    bearing gifts in their hands, gifts for the King of heaven.
Generations of generations will give you joyful praise.
12 Cursed are all who hate you;
    blessed for ever will be all who love you.
13 Rejoice and be glad for the sons of the righteous;
    for they will be gathered together,
    and will praise the Lord of the righteous.
14 How blessed are those who love you!
    They will rejoice in your peace.
Blessed are those who grieved over all your afflictions;
    for they will rejoice for you upon seeing all your glory,
    and they will be made glad for ever.
15 Let my soul praise God the great King.
16 For Jerusalem will be built with sapphires and emeralds,
    her[b] walls with precious stones,
    and her towers and battlements with pure gold.
17 The streets of Jerusalem will be paved[c] with beryl and ruby and stones of Ophir;
18     all her lanes will cry ‘Hallelujah!’ and will give praise,
    saying, ‘Blessed is God, who has exalted you for ever.’”

Footnotes

  1. Tobit 13:5 Other authorities read we
  2. Tobit 13:16 Gk your
  3. Tobit 13:17 Or inlaid

Tobit's Song of Praise

13 Then Tobit prayed:

Praise the eternal God,
    praise the one who rules.
He punishes us; then he shows us mercy.
    He sends us down to the world of the dead,
    then he brings us up from the grave.
No one can escape his power.
People of Israel, give thanks among the nations,
    where he sent you into exile;
    (A)even there he showed his great power.
Let all who live hear your praise.
The Lord is our God and father forever.
Though he punished you for your wickedness,
    he will be merciful and bring you home
    from among the nations where he scattered you.
Turn to him with all your heart and soul,
    live in loyal obedience to him.
    Then he will turn to you to help you
    and will no longer hide himself.
Remember what God has done for you,
    and give thanks with all your heart.
Praise the righteous Lord;
    honor the eternal King.
Although I live in exile in a foreign land,
    I will give thanks to the Lord
    and will speak of his great strength to a nation of sinners.
Turn away from your sins, and do what pleases God!
Perhaps he will be gracious
    and show you his mercy.

I praise my God and rejoice in his greatness;
    my whole being honors the King of heaven.
Let everyone tell of his greatness
    and sing his praises in Jerusalem.
(B)Jerusalem, Holy City of our God,
    he will punish you for the sins of your people,
    but he will be merciful to all who do right.
10 So give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
    Praise the eternal King.[a]
    Your Temple will be rebuilt,
    and your people will be happy again.
May the Lord make all your exiles glad,
    may he take care of your suffering people
    for as long as time shall last.
11 Jerusalem, your light will shine brightly for all the world,
    and from far away many nations will come to you.
Their people will come to honor the Lord your God,
    they will bring gifts for the King of heaven.
In your streets many generations will sing joyful praise,
    your name will endure forever as God's chosen city.
12 A curse will be on all who make threats against you,
    on all who destroy you and tear down your walls,
    on all who demolish your towers and burn your homes.
But all who honor you will be blessed forever.
13 Rejoice, Jerusalem, because of your righteous people;
    they will be gathered together from exile
    to praise the Lord of the ages.
14 Happy are all who love you
    and are pleased to see you prosper.
Those who mourn over your suffering now
    will one day be happy;
    your happiness will bring them joy forever.
15 I praise the Lord, the great King;
16     Jerusalem will be rebuilt
    and will be his home forever.
Jerusalem, how happy I will be
    when my descendants can see your splendor
    and give thanks to the King of heaven.
Your gates will be built with sapphires and emeralds,
    and all your walls with precious stones.
Your towers will be made of gold,
    and their fortifications of pure gold.
17 Your streets will be paved with rubies and precious jewels.
18 Joyful songs will ring out from your gates,
    and from all your houses people will shout,
    Praise the Lord! Praise the God of Israel!
Jerusalem, God will bless your people,
    and they will praise his holy name forever.

With these words Tobit ended his song of praise.

Footnotes

  1. Tobit 13:10 Some manuscripts do not have verses 6b-10a Although I live...Praise the eternal King.
'Tobit 13 ' not found for the version: New American Standard Bible.
'Tobit 13 ' not found for the version: New International Version.