Tobit 5–6

5Then answered Tobias and said unto Tobit his father, All things, whatsoever thou hast commanded me, I will do, father. But how shall I be able to fetch it from him, seeing he knoweth me not nor do I know him? What token shall I give him that he may recognize me and trust me and give me the money? And the roads to Media I know not to journey there. Then answered Tobit and said unto Tobias his son, His note of hand he gave me and a note of hand I gave him and I parted it in two and we took to each of us a part, and I put it with the money, and now lo, it is twenty years since I left this money in trust. And now, child, seek thee a trusty man which shall go with thee, and we will give him wages, until thou return: and fetch thou this money from him. And Tobias went out to seek a man who would go with him into Media and knew the way well; and he went out and found Raphael, the angel, standing before him. And he knew not that he was an angel of God, and said unto him, Whence art thou, young man? And he said unto him, Of the children of Israel thy brethren; and I am come hither to work. And he said unto him, Knowest thou the way to go to Media? And he said unto him, Yea, I have often been there, and I know it well and I know all the ways; many times did I go unto Media and lodged with Gabael our kinsman, who dwelleth in Rages of Media; and it is two regular days’ journey from Ecbatana to Rages; for it lieth in the hill country, but Ecbatana in the middle of the plain. And he said unto him, Wait for me, young man, until I go in and shew my father; for I need that thou go with me and I will give thee thy hire. And he said unto him, Behold, I will wait, only tarry not. And Tobias went in and shewed Tobit his father and said unto him, Behold, I have found a man of our brethren the children of Israel. And he said unto him, Call me the man, that I may know what is his family and of what tribe he is, and whether he be a trusty man to go with thee, child.

And Tobias went forth, and called him and said unto him, Young man, my father calleth thee. And he came in to him, and Tobit saluted him first. And he said unto him, Much cheer to thee! And Tobit answered and said unto him, What cheer have I any more, who am a man impotent in the eyes, and I behold not the light of heaven, but lie in darkness like the dead which no more see the light; while I live I am among the dead; the voice of men I hear, and themselves I behold not. And he said unto him, Be of good cheer! it is nigh with God to heal thee; be of good cheer! And Tobit said unto him, My son Tobias wisheth to go unto Media; canst thou go with him and direct him? And I will give thee thy hire, brother. And he said unto him, I shall be able to go with him, and I know all the ways, and often have I gone to Media and passed through all its plains and mountains, and all its ways I know. And he said unto him, Brother, of what family art thou, and out of what tribe? Shew me, brother. And he said, What need hast thou of a tribe? And he said unto him, I would know truly of what tribe thou art, brother, and what thy name. And he said unto him, I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the great, of thy kinsmen. And he said unto him, Welcome and safety, brother; and be not bitter towards me, brother, because I wished to know the truth and thy family. And thou chancest to be a kinsman, and thou art of a noble and good lineage: I knew Ananias and Nathan, the two sons of Semelias the great, and they used to go with me to Jerusalem and worship with me there and they went not astray. Thy brethren are good men; thou art of a good stock, and I bid thee welcome. And he said unto him, I give thee a drachma a day as wages, and those things that be necessary for thee, as unto my son; and go thou with my son, and I will add something to thy wages. And he said unto him, I will go with him, and fear thou not; we shall go safe and return safe unto thee, because the way is secure. And he said unto him, Blessing befall thee, brother! And he called his son, and said unto him, Child, prepare what is needful for the journey and go forth with thy kinsman. And God which is in heaven preserve you there and restore you to me in safety and his angel accompany you with deliverance, child.

And he went forth to go upon his journey; and he kissed his father and mother, and Tobit said unto him, Farewell. And his mother wept, and said unto Tobit, Why is it that thou hast sent away my child? Is he not the staff of our hand, and doth he not go in and out before us? Let not money be added to money: but let it be a ransom for our child. As the Lord hath given us to live, so doth it suffice us. And he said unto her, Trouble not; our child shall go in peace, and in peace come unto us and thine eyes shall see him in the day when he shall come unto thee in peace. Trouble not: fear not for them, sister; for a good angel shall go with him, and his journey shall be prospered, and he shall return in peace.

6And she was silent from her weeping.

And the young man went forth, and the angel with him, and the dog went forth with him and journeyed with them; and they journeyed both of them together. And once night came upon them, and they lodged by the river Tigris, and the young man went down to wash his feet in the river Tigris. And a great fish leaped up out of the water, and would have swallowed the foot of the young man. And he cried out. And the angel said unto the young man, Grasp and take hold of the fish. And the young man caught hold of the fish, and hauled it up on to the land. And the angel said unto him, Open the fish, and take out its gall and the heart and liver and put them by thee, and cast away the inwards; for its gall and heart and liver are for an useful medicament. And the young man opened the fish and collected the gall and the heart and the liver, and he roasted part of the fish and did eat, and left part thereof salted. And they journeyed both of them together until they drew nigh to Media. And then the young man asked the angel and said unto him, Brother Azarias, what is the medicament in the heart and the liver of the fish and in the gall? And he said unto him, As regards the heart and the liver of the fish, make thou a smoke before a man or a woman who hath an attack of a demon or an evil spirit; and every attack will flee from him, and they shall nevermore find an abode with him. And as for the gall—anoint a man’s eyes, upon which white films have come up, ^〈or^〈 blow into them on the white films, and they become well.

And when he had entered into Media and was already drawing nigh to Ecbatana, Raphael saith unto the young man, Brother Tobias. And he said unto him, Here am I. And he said unto him, In the house of Raguel we must lodge this night, the man being thy kinsman; and he hath a daughter whose name is Sarah. And he hath no son nor daughter but Sarah alone, and thou art nearer kin to her than any man to inherit her, and what things are her father’s it is right for thee to inherit; and the maid is wise and steadfast and exceeding honourable, and her father is an honourable man. And he said, It is right for thee to take her; and hear me, brother, and I will speak this night unto her father concerning the maid, that we may take her to be thy bride. And when we return from Rages we will celebrate her marriage. And I know that Raguel can in no wise keep her back from thee or marry her to another—to incur liability to death according to the decree of the book of Moses—and because he knoweth that the inheritance appertaineth to thee to take his daughter before any man. And now, hear me, brother, and let us speak concerning the maid this night and we will betroth her to thee; and, when we return from Rages, we will take her and let us lead her back with us to thy home. Then Tobias answered and said unto Raphael, Brother Azarias, I have heard that already the maid hath been given to seven men, and they have died in their bridal-chambers; even in the night when they went in unto her they died. And I have heard them say that a demon slayeth them. And now for my part I fear—for her he harmeth not, but the man who would come in unto her, him he slayeth, and I am my father’s only child—lest I should die and bring my father’s and my mother’s life to the grave with sorrow because of me: and they have no other son to bury them. And he saith unto him, Dost thou not remember the commands of thy father, that he commanded thee to take a wife of thy father’s house? And now hear me, brother; and make thou no reckoning of this demon, but take her. For I know that this night she shall be given to thee to wife. And when thou comest into the bride-chamber, take of the liver of the fish with the heart and place them upon the ashes of the incense and the smell shall go forth, and the devil shall smell it, and flee away, and never appear any more to her. And when thou art about to be with her, rise up both of you first and pray and supplicate the Lord of heaven that mercy and deliverance may be extended to you. And fear not, for she was set apart for thee before the world was; and thou shalt save her, and she shall go with thee. And I suppose that thou shalt have children of her and they shall be as brothers unto thee. Take no reckoning. And when Tobias heard the words of Raphael, and that she was his sister of the seed of his father’s house, he loved her exceedingly, and his heart clave unto her.