Chapter 3
11-14 of Book of Tobit, Dewey Reams Version. The SleeperVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 11. And as they were returning they came to Charan, which is in the midway to Nineveh, the eleventh day.
And the angel said, Brother Tobias, now knowest how thou didst leave thy father. If it please thee therefore, let us go before, and let the family follow softly after us, together with thy wife and with the beasts. And as this their going pleased him, Raphael said to Tobias, Take with thee of the gall of the fish, for it will be necessary.
So Tobias took some of that gall and departed. But Anna sat beside the way daily, on the top of a hill, from whence she might see afar And while she watched his coming from that place, she saw him afar off, and presently perceived it was her son coming. And returning she told her husband, saying, Behold thy son cometh.
Then Raphael said to Tobias, As soon as thou shalt come into thy house, forthwith adore the Lord thy God, and giving thanks to him, go to thy father and kiss him, and immediately anoint his eyes with this gall of the fish, which thou careyest with thee. For be assured that his eyes shall be presently opened, and thy father shall see the light of heaven, and shall rejoice in the sight of thee.
Then the dog which had been with them in the way ran before, and coming as if he had brought the news, showed his joy by his fawning and wagging his tail. And his father that was blind, rising up, began to stumble with his feet, and giving a servant his hand, went to meet his son. And receiving him kissed him, as he did also his wife, and they began to weep for joy.
And when they had adored God and given him thanks, they sat down together. Then Tobias, taking the gall of the fish, anointed his father's eyes, and he stayed And the white skin began to come out of his eyes, like the skin of an egg. And Tobias took hold of it, and drew it from his eyes, and recovered his sight. And they glorified God, both he and his wife, and all that knew him.
And Tobias said, I bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, because thou hast chastened me, and thou hast saved me, and behold, I see Tobias my son. And after seven days, Sarah, his son's wife, and all the family arrived safe, and the cattle, and the camels, and an abundance of money of his wife's, and that money also which he had received of Gabalus.
And he told his parents all the benefits of God which he had done to him by the man that conducted him. And Ashior and Nabath, the kinsmen of Tobias, came rejoicing for Tobias, and congratulating with him for all the good things that God had done for him. And for seven days they feasted, and rejoiced all with great joy.
Chapter 12 Then Tobias called to him his son, and said to him, What can we give to this holy man, that he is come with thee? Tobias answering said to his father, Father, what wages shall we give him, or what can be worthy of his benefits? He conducted me, and brought me safe again.
He received the money of Gabalus. He caused me to have my wife, and he chased from her the evil spirit. He gave joy to her parents. Myself he delivered from being devoured by the fish. Thee also he hath made to see the light of heaven, and we are filled with all good things
through him. What can we give him sufficient for these things? But I beseech thee, my father, to desire him that he would vouchsafe to accept of one half of all the things that have been brought. So the father and son calling him took him aside, and began to desire him that he would
vouchsafe to accept of half of all the things that they had brought. Then he said to him secretly, Bless ye the God of heaven, give glory to him in the sight of all that live, because he hath shown his mercy to you. For it is good to hide the secret of a king, to reveal and confess the works of God. Prayer is good with fasting, and alms more than to lay up treasures of gold.
For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that which purges away all sins, and maketh to find mercy and life everlasting. But they that commit sin and iniquity are enemies to their own soul. I discover then the truth unto you, and I will not hide the secret from you. When thou didst pray with tears, and didst bury the dead, and didst leave thy dinner,
and hide the dead by day in thy house, and bury them by night, I offered thy prayer to the Lord. And because thou wast acceptable to God, it was necessary that temptation should prove thee. And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sarah thy son's wife from
the devil. For I am Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord. And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear, they fell upon the ground on their face. And the angel said to them, Peace be to you, fear not.
For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God. Bless ye him, and sing praises to him. I seemed indeed to eat and to drink with you, but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men. It is time therefore that I return to him that sent me.
But bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works. When they had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they could see him no more. Then lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, blessed God, and rising up, they told all his wonderful works.
Chapter 13. And Tobias the elder, opening his mouth, blessed the Lord, and said, Thou art great, O Lord, forever, and thy kingdom is unto all ages. For thou scourgest and thou savest. Thou leadest down to hell, and bringest up again.
And there is none that can escape thy hand. Give glory to the Lord, ye children of Israel, and praise him in the sight of the Gentiles, because he hath therefore scattered you among the Gentiles, who know not him, that you may declare his wonderful works, and make them know that there is no other Almighty God besides him.
He hath chastised us for our iniquities, and he will save us for his own mercy. See then what he hath done with us, and with fear and trembling give ye glory to him, and extol the eternal King of worlds in your works. As for me, I will praise him in the land of my captivity, because he hath shown his majesty toward a sinful nation.
Be converted therefore, ye sinners, and do justice before God, believing that he will show his mercy to you, and I and my soul will rejoice in him. Bless ye the Lord, all his elect. Keep days of joy, and give glory to him. Jerusalem, city of God, the Lord hath chastened thee for the works of thy hands.
Give glory to the Lord for thy good things, and bless the God eternal, that he may rebuild his tabernacle in thee, and may call back all the captives to thee, and thou mayest rejoice for ever and ever. Thou shalt shine with the glorious lights, and all the ends of the earth shall worship thee.
Nations from afar shall come to thee, and shall bring gifts, and shall adore the Lord in thee, and shall esteem thy land as holy, for they shall call upon the great name in thee. They shall be cursed that shall despise thee, and they shall be condemned that shall blaspheme thee, and blessed shall they be that shall build thee up.
But thou shalt rejoice in thy children, because they shall all be blessed, and shall be gathered together to the Lord. Blessed are all they that love thee, and that rejoice in thy peace. My soul, bless thou the Lord, because the Lord our God hath delivered Jerusalem his city from all her troubles.
Happy shall I be, if there shall remain of my seed, to see the glory of Jerusalem. The gates of Jerusalem shall be built of sapphire, and of emerald, and all the walls thereof round about of precious stones. All its streets shall be paved with white and clean stones, and hallelujah shall be sung in its streets.
Blessed be the Lord, who hath exalted it, and may he reign over it for ever and ever. Amen. Chapter 14 And the words of Tobias were ended, and after Tobias was restored to his sight, he lived two and forty years, and saw the children of his grandchildren.
And after he had lived a hundred and two years, he was buried honorably in Nineveh. For he was six and fifty years old, when he lost the sight of his eyes, and sixty when he recovered it again. And the rest of his life was in joy, and with great increase of the fear of God, he departed in peace.
And at the hour of his death he called unto him his son Tobias and his children, seven young men, his grandsons, and said to them, The destruction of Nineveh is at hand, for the word of the Lord must be fulfilled, and our brethren that are scattered abroad from the land of Israel shall return to it. And all the land thereof, that is the desert, shall be filled with people, and the house
of God which is burnt in it shall again be rebuilt, and all that fear God shall return thither. And the Gentiles shall leave their idols, and shall come into Jerusalem, and shall dwell in it, and all the kings of the earth shall rejoice in it, adoring the King of Israel. Harken therefore, my children, to your Father, serve the Lord in truth, and seek to do the
things that please him. And commend your children that they do justice in Amstede's, and that they be mindful of God, and bless him all the times in truth, and with all their power. And now, children, hear me, and do not stay here, but as soon as you shall bury your mother by me in one sepulcher, without delay direct your steps to depart hence.
For I see that its iniquity will bring it to destruction. And it came to pass that after the death of his mother, Tobias departed out of Nineveh with his wife and children, and children's children, and returned to his father and mother-in-law. And he found them in good health, in a good old age. And he took care of them, and he closed their eyes, and all the inheritance of Ragoul's
house came to him, and he saw his children's children to the fifth generation. And after he had lived ninety-nine years in the fear of the Lord, with joy they buried him. And all his kindred, and all his generation, continued in good life, and in holy conversation, so that they were acceptable both to God and to men, and to all that dwelt in the land.
End of chapters eleven through fourteen. End of the book of Tobit.
