Tobit 3:6–6:17

6 Now therefore edeal with me as seemeth best unto thee, and fcommand my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be * dissolved, and become earth: ffor git is profitable for me to die rather than to live, because hI have heard false reproaches, and have much sorrow: command therefore that I may now be delivered out of this distress, and go into the everlasting place: iturn not thy face away from me.

7 It came to pass the same day, that in kEcbatane a city of lMedia Sara the daughter of Raguel was also reproached by her father’s maids; 8 because that she had been married to seven husbands, whom mAsmodeus the evil spirit had killed, before they had lain with her. Dost thou not know, said they, that thou hast strangled thine husbands? thou hast had already seven husbands, neither wast thou named after any of them. 9 Wherefore dost thou beat us for them? if they be dead, go thy ways after them, let us never see of thee either son or daughter. 10 When she heard these things, she was very sorrowful, so that she thought to have strangled herself; and she said, I am the only daughter of my father, and if I do this, it shall be a reproach unto him, and nI shall bring his old age with sorrow unto the grave. 11 Then she prayed otoward the window, and said, ooBlessed art thou, O Lord my God, and thine holy and glorious name is blessed and honourable for ever: plet all thy works praise thee for ever. 12 And now, O Lord, qI set mine eyes and my face toward thee, 13 and say, rTake me out of the earth, that I may hear no more the reproach. 14 Thou knowest, Lord, that I am pure from all sin with man, 15 and that I never polluted my name, nor the name of my father, in the land of my captivity: I am the only daughter of my father, neither hath he any child to be his heir, neither any near * kinsman, nor any son of his alive, to whom I may keep myself for a wife: my seven husbands are already dead; and why should I live? but if it please not thee that I should die, command some regard to be had of me, and pity taken of me, that I hear no more reproach.

16 So the prayers of them both were heard before the majesty of the great God. 17 And sRaphael was sent to heal them both, that is, to tscale away the whiteness of Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sara the daughter of Raguel for a wife to Tobias the son of Tobit; and to bind mAsmodeus the evil spirit; because ushe belongeth to Tobias by right of inheritance. xThe selfsame time came Tobit home, and entered into his house, and Sara the daughter of Raguel came down from her upper chamber.

IV. In that day Tobit remembered athe money which he had committed to Gabael in Rages of Media, 2 and said with himself, bI have wished for death; wherefore do I not call for my son Tobias, that I may signify to him of the money before I die? 3 And when he had called him, he said,

My son, when I am dead, bury me; and cdespise not thy mother, dbut honour her all the days of thy life, and do that which shall please her, and grieve her not. 4 Remember, my son, that she saw many dangers for thee, when thou wast in her womb; and when she is dead, bury her by me in one grave. 5 My son, be mindful of the Lord our God all thy days, and elet not thy will be set to sin, or to transgress his commandments: do uprightly all thy life long, and follow not the ways of unrighteousness. 6 For if thou deal truly, thy doings shall prosperously succeed to thee, and to all them that live justly.

7 fGive alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, glet not thine eye be envious, hneither turn thy face from any poor, and ithe face of God shall not be turned away from thee. 8 jIf thou hast abundance, give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little: 9 for thou klayest up a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity. 10 Because that lalms doth deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness. 11 For alms is a good gift unto all that give it, in the sight of the most High. 12 mBeware of all whoredom, my son, and chiefly take a wife of the seed of thy fathers, and take not a strange woman to wife, which is not of thy father’s tribe: for we are the children of the nprophets, Noe, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: remember, my son, that our fathers from the beginning, even that they all married wives of their own kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed shall inherit the land. 13 Now therefore, my son, love thy brethren, and despise not in thy heart thy brethren, the sons and daughters of thy people, in not taking a wife of them: for oin pride is destruction and much trouble, and in plewdness is decay and great want: for pqlewdness is the mother of famine. 14 rLet not the wages of any man, which hath wrought for thee, tarry with thee, but give him it out of hand: for if thou serve God, he will also repay thee: be scircumspect, my son, in all things thou doest, and be wise tin all thy conversation. 15 uDo that to no man which thou hatest: xdrink not wine to make thee drunken: neither let drunkenness go with thee in thy journey. 16 yGive of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that are naked; and zaccording to thine abundance give alms; and alet not thine eye be envious, when thou givest alms. 17 bPour out thy bread on the burial of the just, but give nothing to the wicked. 18 Ask counsel of all that are wise, and despise not any counsel that is profitable. 19 Bless the Lord thy God alway, and desire of him that cthy ways may be directed, and that all thy paths and counsels may prosper: for every nation hath not counsel; but dthe Lord himself giveth all good things, and he humbleth whom he will, as he will; now therefore, my son, remember my commandments, neither let them be put out of thy mind. 20 And now I signify this to thee, that I committed ten talents to Gabael * the son of Gabrias at Rages in Media. 21 And fear not, my son, that ewe are made poor: for fthou hast much wealth, if thou fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.

V. Tobias then answered and said, Father, I will do all things which thou hast commanded me: 2 but how can I receive the money, seeing I know him not? 3 Then he gave him athe handwriting, and said unto him, Seek thee a man which may go with thee, whiles I yet live, and I will give him wages: and go and receive the money. 4 Therefore when he went to seek a man, he found aaRaphael that was an angel. 5 But he knew not; and he said unto him, Canst thou go with me to bRages? and knowest thou those places well? 6 To whom the angel said, I will go with thee, and I know the way well: for I have lodged with our brother Gabael. 7 Then Tobias said unto him, Tarry for me, till I tell my father. 8 Then he said unto him, Go, and tarry not. So he went in and said to his father, Behold, I have found one which will go with me. Then he said, Call him unto me, that I may know of what tribe he is, and whether he be a trusty man to go with thee. 9 So he called him, and he came in, and they saluted one another. 10 Then Tobit said unto him, Brother, shew me of what tribe and family thou art. 11 To whom he said, Dost thou seek for a tribe or family, or a hired man to go with thy son? Then Tobit said unto him, I would know, brother, thy kindred and name. 12 Then he said, I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the great, and of thy brethren. 13 Then Tobit said, bbThou art welcome, brother; be not now angry with me, because I have inquired to know thy tribe and thy family; for thou art my brother, of can honest and good stock: for I know Ananias and Jonathas, sons of that great Samaias, das we went together to Jerusalem to worship, and offered the firstborn, and the tenths of the fruits; and they were not seduced ewith the error of our brethren: my brother, thou art of a good stock. 14 But tell me, what wages shall I give thee? wilt thou fa drachm a day, and things necessary, as to my own son? 15 Yea, moreover, if ye return safe, I will add something to thy wages. 16 So they were well pleased. Then said he to Tobias, Prepare thyself for the journey, and God send you a good journey. And when his son had prepared all things for the journey, his father said, Go thou with this man, and God, which dwelleth in heaven, prosper your journey, and the angel of God keep you company. So they went forth both, and gthe young man’s dog with them.

17 But Anna his mother wept, and hsaid to Tobit, Why hast thou sent away our son? is he not the staff of our hand, iin going in and out before us? 18 * Be not greedy to add money to money: but let it be as refuse in respect of our child. 19 * For that which the Lord hath given us to live with, doth suffice us. 20 Then said Tobit to her, Take no care, lmy sister; he shall return in safety, and thine eyes shall see him. 21 For mthe good angel will keep him company, and his journey shall be prosperous, and he shall return safe. 22 Then she made an end of weeping.

VI. And as they went on their journey, they came in the evening to the river aTigris, and they lodged there. 2 And when the young man went down to wash himself, a fish leaped out of the river, and would have devoured him. 3 Then the angel said unto him, Take the fish. And the young man laid hold of the fish, and * drew it to land. 4 To whom the angel said, Open the fish, and take the heart and the liver and the gall, and put them up safely. 5 So the young man did as the angel commanded him; and when they had roasted the fish, they did eat it: then they both went on their way, till they drew near to bEcbatane. 6 Then the young man said to the angel, Brother Azarias, to what use is the heart and the liver and the gall of the fish? 7 And he said unto him, Touching the heart and the liver, if a devil or an cevil spirit trouble any, we must make a smoke thereof before the man or the woman, and the party shall be no more vexed. 8 As for the gall, it is good ccto anoint a man that hath whiteness in his eyes, and he shall be …