Tobit 10–11

Anxiety of the Parents

¹⁰Now day by day Tobit kept counting how many days Tobias^s would need for going and for returning. And when the days had passed and his son did not appear,^{* 2}he said, “Is it possible that he has been detained? Or that Gabael has died, and there is no one to give him the money?” ³And he began to worry. ⁴His wife Anna said, “My son has perished and is no longer among the living.” And she began to weep and mourn for her son, saying, ⁵“Woe to me, my child, the light of my eyes, that I let you make the journey.”^{* 6}But Tobit kept saying to her, “Be quiet and stop worrying, my sister; he is all right. Something must have happened to delay them. The man who went with him is trustworthy and is one of our own kin. Do not grieve for him, my sister; he will be here soon.” ⁷She answered him, “Be quiet yourself! Stop trying to deceive me! My son has perished.” She would rush out every day and watch the road her son had taken and would heed no one.^t When the sun had set she would go in and mourn and weep all night long, getting no sleep.

Tobias and Sarah Start for Home

Now when the fourteen days of the wedding celebration had ended that Raguel had sworn to observe for his daughter, Tobias came to him and said, “Send me back, for I know that my father and mother do not believe that they will see me again. So I beg of you, father, to let me go so that I may return to my own father. I have already explained to you how I left him.”^{* 8}But Raguel said to Tobias, “Stay, my son, stay with me; I will send messengers to your father Tobit, and they will inform him about you.” ⁹But he said to him, “No! I beg you to send me back to my father.” ¹⁰So Raguel stood and gave Tobias his wife Sarah, as well as half of all his property: male and female slaves, oxen and sheep, donkeys and camels, clothing, money, and household goods.^{* 11}Then he saw them safely off; he embraced Tobias^u and said to him, “Farewell, my son; have a safe journey. The Lord of heaven prosper you and your wife Sarah, and may I see children of yours before I die.” ¹²Then he said to his daughter Sarah, “My daughter, go to your father-in-law and your mother-in-law,^v since from now on they are as much your parents as those who gave you birth. Go in peace, daughter, and may I hear a good report about you as long as I live.” Then he bade them farewell and let them go. Then Edna said to Tobias, “My child and dear brother, the Lord of heaven bring you back safely, and may I live long enough to see children from you and of my daughter Sarah before I die. In the sight of the Lord I entrust my daughter to you; do nothing to make her unhappy all the days of your life. Go in peace, my son. From now on I am your mother, and Sarah is your sister. May we all prosper together all the days of our lives.” Then she kissed them both and saw them safely off.^{* 13}Tobias parted from Raguel with happiness and joy, praising the Lord of heaven and earth, King over all, because he had made his journey a success, and he blessed Raguel and his wife Edna and said,^w “May it come to pass that I honor^x them all the days of their lives.”^y

Homeward Journey

¹¹When they came near to Kaserin, which is opposite Nineveh, Raphael said,^{* 2}“You are aware of how we left your father. ³Let us run ahead of your wife and prepare the house while they are still on the way.” ⁴As they went on together, Raphael^z said to him, “Have the gall ready in your hand.” And the dog^a went along behind them.^*

⁵Meanwhile Anna sat looking intently down the road by which her son would come.^{* 6}When she caught sight of him coming, she said to his father, “Look, your son is coming, and the man who went with him!”

Tobit’s Sight Restored

⁷Raphael said to Tobias before he had approached his father, “I know that his eyes will be opened.^{* 8}Smear the gall of the fish on his eyes; the medicine will make the white films shrink and peel off from his eyes, and your father will regain his sight and see the light.”^*

⁹Then Anna ran up to her son and threw her arms around her son, saying, “Now that I have seen you, my son, I am ready to die.” And she wept.^{* 10}Then Tobit got up and came stumbling out through the courtyard door. Tobias went up to him, ¹¹with the gall of the fish in his hand, and blew it into his eyes, then took hold of him, saying, “Take courage, father.” With this he applied the medicine on his eyes,^{* 12}and it stung.^{b 13}Next, with both his hands he peeled off the white films from the corners of his eyes. Then Tobit^c threw his arms around him,^{* 14}and he wept and said to him, “I see you, my son, the light of my eyes!” Then he said,

“Blessed be God.

May his great name be upon us,

and blessed be all the angels^d

throughout all the ages.^*

¹⁵Though he afflicted me,^e

now I see my son Tobias!”

So Tobit went in rejoicing and praising God at the top of his voice. Tobias reported to his father that his journey had been successful, that he had brought the money, that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, and that she was, indeed, on her way there, very near to the gate of Nineveh.^*

¹⁶Then Tobit,^f rejoicing and praising God, went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gate of Nineveh. When the people of Nineveh saw him coming, walking along in full vigor and with no one leading him, they were amazed. ¹⁷Before them all, Tobit acknowledged that God had been merciful to him and had restored his sight. When Tobit met Sarah the wife of his son Tobias, he blessed her, saying, “Come in, my daughter, and be welcome. Blessed be your God who has brought you to us, my daughter. Blessed be your father and your mother, blessed be my son Tobias, and blessed be you, my daughter. Come in now to your home, and be welcome, with blessing and joy. Come in, my daughter.” So on that day there was rejoicing among all the Jews who were in Nineveh.^{* 18}Ahikar and his nephew Nadab were also present to share Tobit’s joy.^g*