Tobit’s Wife Earns Their Livelihood

At that time my wife Anna earned money at women’s work.

Sarah’s Prayer for Death

Overcome with emotion at that time, she wept and went up to her father’s upper room, intending to hang herself. But she thought it over and said, “Let no one ever reproach my father, saying to him, ‘You had only one beloved daughter, and she hanged herself out of distress!’ I would bring my father in his old age down in sorrow to Hades. It is better for me not to hang myself but to beg the Lord that I may die, so that I will not have to listen to these reproaches for the rest of my life.”

At that same time, with hands outstretched toward the window, she prayed and said, “Blessed are you, merciful God! Blessed is your name forever; let all your works bless you forever.

So Raphael was sent to heal both of them: Tobit by removing the white films from his eyes, so that he might see God’s light with his eyes, and Sarah, daughter of Raguel, by giving her in marriage to Tobias son of Tobit, and by setting her free from the wicked demon Asmodeus. For Tobias was entitled to have her before all others who had desired to marry her. At the same time that Tobit returned from the courtyard into his house, Sarah daughter of Raguel came down from her upper room.

At all times bless God and ask him that your ways may be made straight and that all your paths and plans may prosper. For no nation has good counsel, but the Lord himself gives it. Whom he wants to, he exalts, and whom he wants to, he casts down to Hades below. So now, my son, remember these commandments of mine, and do not let them be erased from your heart.

“Yes,” he replied, “I have been there many times; I am acquainted with it and know all the roads. I have often traveled to Media and would stay 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.”

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, “Many greetings to you!” But Tobit retorted, “What is left for me to greet any more? 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’s voices, 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. I have often gone to Media, have crossed all its plains, and am familiar with its mountains and all of its roads.”

And that time when you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner to go and lay out that corpse,

I was sent to you to test you. And at the same time God sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law.

and escape off to Media, for I believe the word of God that Nahum spoke about Nineveh, that all these things will occur and will happen to Assyria and Nineveh. Indeed, everything that was spoken by the prophets of Israel whom God sent will occur. None of all their words will fail, but all will come true at their appointed times. So it will be safer in Media than among the Assyrians or in Babylon. For I know and believe that whatever God has said will be fulfilled and will occur; not a single word of the prophecies will fail. All of our kindred, inhabitants of the land of Israel, will be counted and taken as captives from the good land, and the whole land of Israel will be desolate; even Samaria and Jerusalem will be desolate. And the temple of God in it will be burned to the ground and will be desolate for a while.

“But God will again have mercy on them, and God will bring them back into the land of Israel, and they will rebuild the temple but not like the first one until the appointed time is completed. After this they all will return from their exile and will rebuild Jerusalem in splendor, and in it the temple of God will be rebuilt, just as the prophets of Israel have said concerning it.

“So now, my children, I command you, serve God faithfully and do what is pleasing in his sight. Your children are also to be commanded to do what is right and to give alms and to be mindful of God and to bless his name at all times with sincerity and with all their strength.

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,

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.

At one time they lived in Mesopotamia because they did not wish to follow the gods of their ancestors who were in Chaldea.

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.

They drove out before them the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Shechemites, and all the Gergesites and lived there a long time.

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.

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.

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.

The Prayer of Judith

Then Judith prostrated herself, put ashes on her head, and uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing. At the very time when the evening incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem, Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice and said,

Now indeed is the time to help your heritage and to carry out my design to destroy the enemies who have risen up against us.”

No one ever again spread terror among the Israelites during the lifetime of Judith or for a long time after her death.

Now the period after which a young woman was to go to the king was twelve months. During this time the days of cosmetic treatment are completed: six months while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women.

When the time was fulfilled for Esther daughter of Aminadab, the brother of Mordecai’s father, to go in to the king, she neglected none of the things that the eunuch in charge of the women had commanded. For Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.