Tobit, Book of

The Book of the Story of Tobit, son of Tobit, son of Gabriel, of the line of Asael, of the tribe of Naphtali, who was taken captive in the days of Enemessar, king of Persia, from Thisbe, which is to the right of Kadesh, which is in Naphtali, in Galilee, above Asher. I, Tobit, walked in the path of righteousness and lived in truth all the days of my life, and I performed many acts of charity for my brothers and for my people who went with me to the land of Persia, into Nineveh. And while I was with the sons of Israel in my land, when I was young, and all the people of Naphtali, and my father, fled from Jerusalem, which was chosen from all Israel, as all Israel would go up to it, and the sanctuary of the Most High was consecrated and established for them for generations forever. And all the people who fled offered to the Lord and to the Most High, and the house of Naphtali and my father's house joined with them. And I alone would go up to Jerusalem many times at the feasts, as is written for all Israel in the eternal commandment from the beginning, which I established; I would give to the priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar all the first fruits. And before all the tithes, I would give to the sons of Aaron who serve in Jerusalem; and the second tithe I would tithe and bring offerings, and I would go up to Jerusalem each year.

And thirdly, I give to the poor, as my mother Debora commanded me, for my father left me as an orphan when I was a child. And when I became a man, I took a wife from among my relatives, and I begot Tobit from her. And when all my brothers and my relatives went into captivity in Nineveh, eating the bread of the Gentiles, I kept myself from eating, for I remembered the Lord in all my heart. And the Lord gave me favor and grace before Enemessar, and he appointed me as his steward. And I went to Media, and I entrusted to Gabael in the land of Rages of Media ten talents of silver. And when Enemessar died, Sennacherib, whose deeds were evil, reigned after him, and he persecuted me, and I was unable to go to Media. And in the time of Enemessar, I did many good deeds for my brothers, and I fed them, and I gave to the hungry, and I clothed the naked. And wherever I saw one of my people dead or wounded, I buried him in a tomb in Nineveh. And wherever Sennacherib the king killed, when he returned from Judah, raging, I buried them secretly, for he had killed many in his wrath, and the king sought to destroy them, but he did not find them. And one of the men of Nineveh went to the king and accused me, that I had buried them, and I hid myself when I learned that they sought to kill me, and I fled in fear. And when they caught me, they plundered all my goods, and there was nothing left for me except my wife Hanna and my son Tobit.

And I went out fifty-five days until they killed the two of them, the little ones, and cast them into the mountains. And King Esarhaddon, his son, reigned after him, and he appointed Akaqiron, son of Asahel, son of my father’s brother, over all his father’s house and over all their ordinances. And Akaqiron asked about me, and he brought me into Nineveh. And Akaqiron, over whom was the seal and the signet of his house, appointed me again as Akrondesha. Chapter 2 And when I entered my house, my wife Hannah brought me a meal on the feast day of holy Pentecost, the seventh Sabbath. They did good to me, and they rejoiced to eat. And I saw that it was like a dream in truth, and I said to my son, “Go, bring what you have found from our brothers, the poor and needy, for you have remembered the Lord; I will wait for you until you return.” And when he returned, he said to me, “Father, I found one of the people, a corpse, cast out in the marketplace.” And I arose without having tasted food, and I put it in one house until sunset. And I entered my house, and I washed, and I ate my food in sorrow. And I remembered what Amos said: “Your feasts will be turned into weeping.” And then I wept. And when the sun set, I went and dug and buried him. And the people of the land mocked me and said, “Is he not afraid of this? Will they not kill him because of this deed, since he buries those whom the king has killed?” And that night I slept in my bed in the courtyard, and my face was covered.

And I did not know that there were birds in the dung, and while my face was turned away, those birds cast white into my eyes. And I went to the keeper of the linen, and there was no one to answer me. And Akaqiron was feeding me until I went to Elamadia alone. And Hannah was serving in the house of women, and she went to her mistress, and she gave her a piece of linen. And she brought it to me. And when she came to me, she began to weep. And I said to her, "From where is this piece of linen? And if it is stolen, bring it back to its owner, for it is not right to eat what is stolen." And she said to me, "Beg for me here before my lord." And I did not believe her. And I said, "Bring it back to its owner." And I was greatly troubled with her. And she answered and said to me, "Where is your gift and your righteousness? Now all that is behind you is known." Chapter 3 And I was troubled with pain, and I prayed and wept. And I said, "Righteous are you, O Lord, and all your ways are in mercy and in justice, in righteousness and in truth you judge the world. Remember me and look upon me, and do not avenge yourself upon me for my sins, and for the sins of my fathers who sinned against you and did not obey your commandment. And you appointed me for confusion, for wandering, and for killing. And I became a reproach among all the world and the peoples from among whom I was scattered everywhere. And now your judgment is just, which is righteous. And do for me what will forgive my sin and that of my fathers, for we did not obey your commandment and did not walk in righteousness before you.

And now, what will you do with me, my lord, before you? And command that my spirit be calmed, so that I may be blind and become a corpse, for it is better for me to be mocked falsely and to have much sorrow upon me. And command that I be blind from my pain in a place forever, and do not turn your face from me. And on that day, she met Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, from the city of Media, and her father’s maidservants were mourning her, for she had been betrothed to seven men, and an evil demon, Asmodaeus, had killed them without any man or woman approaching her. And he said to her, “Do you not know that your betrothed are being strangled? And now, seven have been betrothed to you, and not one of them has touched you. And what have we done because of them, for they have died? Go with them, and I will never see a son or a daughter from you.” And when she heard this, she was greatly troubled, and she said, “I am alone for my father, and if I have done this, it is a false shame, and I will bring down his blessing in sorrow into the grave.” And she prayed in her house, and she said, “Blessed are you, O Lord, my God, and may your holy name be blessed, and your blessed name in all the world, and all your works are glorious forever. And now, O Lord, I have turned my eyes and my face to you, and I say to you, ‘Blind me from the earth, so that I may not hear falsehood.’ For you, O Lord, know that I am pure from all sin with a man.

I did not know my name nor my father’s name in the land where I was exiled, and I am alone for my father, and I have no brother, and I have no relative, and I wait for a man, for seven of them have killed me. Why then do I live? And if you wish to kill me, look upon me and have mercy on me, and command that my spirit be calmed, so that I may not hear mockery again. And the prayers of both of them were heard before the glory of the greatness of the Lord, and he sent Raphael to heal both of them, and to remove the cataract from Tobit’s eye, and to give Sarah, daughter of Raguel, to Tobiah, son of Tobit, as his wife, and to drive out Asmodeus, the evil demon, for Tobiah would inherit her. And in those days Tobit was healed and returned to his house, and Sarah, daughter of Raguel, descended from her upper chamber. Chapter 4 And on that day Tobit remembered the silver that he had deposited with Gabael in Rages of Media. And he thought and said, “Now I have asked that I might die, but why should I not summon my son Tobiah so that I might instruct him before I die?” And he summoned him and said to him, “My son, when I die, bury me well, and honor your mother all the days of her life, and do for her all that she desires, and do not grieve her. Remember, my son, that she endured much pain for you while you were in her womb. And if she dies, bury her with me in one tomb.

And in all days, O my son, remember the Lord our God, and do not transgress or violate His commandment, and do righteousness in all the days of your life, and do not walk on the path of iniquity. And as you have done righteousness, you will rejoice in all your path and in all your deeds that you have done, and likewise for all those who do righteousness. And from your possessions, give alms, and do not harden your eye when you give alms, and do not turn your face away from the poor. And the Lord will not turn His face away from you. And according to your ability, give alms to the measure of your means, and if you are alone, do not be hard-hearted toward the giver of alms, for you store up a good treasure for yourself, for alms saves from death on the day of distress and does not lead into darkness, for alms is a good grace for those who do it before the Most High. And know yourself, O my son, from all uncleanness, and take for yourself a wife from the seed of your fathers, and do not marry a foreigner, even if she is from your kin, for we are from the children of the prophets: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who from the beginning were our fathers. Remember, O my son, that all of them took wives from the lineage of their brothers and were blessed, and their children and their seed inherited the land.

And now, my son, love your kinsmen, and do not let your heart be proud against your kinsmen and the children of your people and their children. Take a wife from among them, for where there is pride, there is lack and much trouble; and where there is trouble, there is affliction and lamentation. For from her (pride) come all the evils that have befallen you. Is it not better for you to have it (a wife) in her time than to weep? And as you have humbled yourself before the Lord, He will redeem you and raise your head. And in all your deeds, be good, and in all your conduct. And what you pray for yourself, do not do to anyone else. And do not drink wine to drunkenness, and do not go with drunkenness on your path. And from your food, give to the hungry; and from your clothing, give to the naked. And from all that remains to you, do alms. And scatter your food upon the tombs of the righteous, and do not give to sinners. Seek counsel from all the wise, and do not neglect the counsel that benefits you. And at all times, bless the Lord and pray to Him, that your path may be straight, which will lead you in all your deeds and in all your ways. For all peoples who take counsel that is not from the Lord, without Him, the Lord gives all good things, and to whom He wills, He humbles them as He wills. And now, my son, remember my commandments, and let them not be erased from your heart. And now, I will tell you about the ten talents of silver that I deposited with Gabael, son of Gebreya of Ragis, of Media.

And do not fear, my son, on account of your poverty, for the poor will receive blessing from you. If you fear the Lord and abandon all your sin, and do what is pleasing to the Lord before him. Chapter 5 And Tobit answered and said, "I will do, my father, all that you have commanded me. But how can I take that silver, since I do not know him?" And he gave him a document and said to him, "Seek a man who will go with you, and I will give him wages while I am still alive. And go, take this silver." And he went to seek a man for him, and he found Raphael the angel, but he did not know that he was an angel. And he said to him, "Can you go with me to Rages of Media? If you know the place?" And the angel said to him, "I will go with you, and I also know the road, and I was even at Gabael's." And Tobit said, "Wait for me until I tell my father Tobit." And he said to him, "Go, do not delay." And he went and said to his father, "Now I have found one who will go with me." And he said to him, "Call him to me so that I may know from which people he is, and whether he is trustworthy to go with you." And he called him, and he entered, and they greeted each other. And Tobit said to him, "You, my brother, from which people are you, and from which land are you?" And the angel said to him, "Why do you seek my people and my land, or wages for one who will go with your son?" And Tobit said to him, "I wish, my brother, to know your lineage and your name." And he said to him, "I am Azariah, of the lineage of Ananias, your great brother.

And he said to him, "Be at peace, my brother, and do not be angry with me, for I have desired to know your people and your country, and truly you are of a good lineage, and blessed, and I know Azariah, son of the great Semyu, and we went with them together to Jerusalem to worship, and we brought our firstfruits and the tithe of our harvest, and we did not sin against the sins of our fathers. And as for you, you are of great lineage, my brother, and only tell me, what shall I give you? What is your wage for each day and your food with my son? And I will give you over and above your wage, if you are at peace with you all." And they finished thus. And Tobit said to Tobias his son, "Prepare to go and be served, and his son prepared their provisions for the journey. And his father said to him, "Go with this man, and the Lord who dwells in heaven will make your journey successful, and his angel will go with you." And both of them went out and went, and a dog followed them, their offspring. And Hanna, his mother, wept and said to Tobit, "Why have you sent my son? Is he not our staff, which goes out from our hand? Silver to be spent, and the price of my son shall be what the Lord has given us, which is little?" And he said to her, "Do not grieve, my sister; peace will come, and you will see him with your own eyes, for the angel of the Lord goes before him and makes his journey successful, and he will come in peace." And Hanna ceased her weeping.

Chapter 6 And as they went on their journey, they arrived at the river Tigris, in the evening, and the house was there. And the son went down to wash himself, and a fish leaped up from the river and tried to swallow the son. And the angel said to him, "Seize that fish." And the son seized the fish and brought it out onto the land. And the angel said to him, "Open that fish, take its heart, its liver, and its gall, and preserve them carefully." And the son did as the angel commanded him. And they roasted the fish and ate it, and the two of them passed on and arrived at the river. And the son said to the angel, "You are my brother Azariah; what are the heart, the liver, and the gall of this fish?" And he said to him, "Its heart and its liver, if an evil demon troubles a man or a woman, these are burned before that person, and it will not trouble him further. And as for its gall, it can be smeared on a man who has a white spot in his eyes, and he will see." And when they approached Ragis, the angel said to him, "You, my brother, today we will go to Raguel, your relative. And he has one daughter named Sarah. And I will speak concerning her, and they will give her to you to be your wife, for the inheritance is due to you, and you are from her relatives, and the daughter is good and wise.

And now, listen to me, and I will speak to her father. And when we return from Raguel, we will celebrate the feast, because he will not give Raguel’s daughter to another man, according to the law of Moses. And if he delays, she will die, because her inheritance will come to you from all men. And he said to him, “Remember, my son, that he is an angel. You are my brother Azariah. I have heard how I wooed that girl for that man, and all of them died at the wedding. And now I am alone, I fear for my father when I go, lest I die, and my father’s life be cut short, and they have no other son to bury them.” And the angel said to him, “Do you not remember the word that your father commanded you, that you should take a wife from among your kindred? And now listen to me, my brother. And as for the demon, it will not harm you, because this night you will be given a wife from your kindred. And when you go into your chamber, take the incense of the heart and the liver of that fish, and burn it. And when the demon smells it, it will flee and never enter again. And when you go to her, enter your chamber, both of you, before the merciful Lord, and He will save you and have mercy on you. And do not be afraid, for He has prepared you from the beginning of the world, and you will be saved and go with me, and I will tell you how you will have children from her.” And Tobit heard, and his soul was greatly troubled, and he longed for her. And they arrived at Ecbatana.

Chapter 7 And they entered the house of Raguel, and Sarah received them and made them rejoice. And likewise they also [rejoiced] with her, and they brought them into the house. And Raguel said to the woman, “Edna, this young man is wonderful; he resembles Tobit, my kinsman.” And Raguel said to them, “From where are you, my brothers?” And they said to him, “From the descendants of Naphtali, those who were taken captive to Nineveh.” And Raguel said to them, “Do you know Tobit, my brother?” And they said to him, “Yes, we know him; he is alive and well.” And Tobiah said, “He is my father.” And Raguel wept and embraced him and kissed him and blessed him, and he said to him, “Blessed young man, you are.” And he told him how Tobit’s eyes were blinded. And when Raguel heard that his eyes were blinded, he was grieved and wept. And likewise Edna his wife and Sarah his daughter also [wept]. And they received them with joy, and he slaughtered sheep and presented [them] to them, and they ate and drank according to custom. And Tobiah said to Azariah, “You, my brother Azariah, speak concerning what you told me on the road, and let the matter be accomplished.” And Raguel, hearing this while Tobiah was speaking to the angel, said to Tobiah, “Eat and drink, be merry, for she is my daughter, and you will take her, and I will declare the righteousness of this my daughter. For this my daughter, I have prepared her for seven men, and when they came to her, they died at night. But just eat and be merry.” And Tobiah said, “I will not taste nor eat anything until you have finished and established my matter for me.” And Raguel said, “We will take her from now, according to the law.

Because you are her brother, and she is your wife, and the merciful Lord will do good to you for what you have done. And he called Sarah his daughter, and he took her hand and gave her to Tobit, saying, “Behold, I give her to you according to the law of Moses, and I bring her to your father.” And he blessed them. And he called Edna his wife, and he took a book and sealed it, and they began to eat. And he called Edna and said to her, “You, my sister, prepare a second chamber and bring her in.” And she did as he said, and she brought her in there, and she wept and lamented over her daughter, and she said to her, “Trust, my daughter, that the Lord of heaven and earth will give you joy and honor instead of your sorrow.” Chapter 8 And when the evening was finished, they brought Tobit to her. And when he entered, he remembered the words, and he took the liver of the fish and the incense and cast it from his heart and the heart of the fish, and he fumigated. And when the demon smelled its smell, it fled to the upper parts of Egypt, and the angel bound that demon. And when the two of them had risen, Tobit arose from his bed and said to her, “Arise, my sister, let us pray to the Lord that he may have mercy on us.” And Tobit began, saying, “Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers; may your holy name be blessed and praised forever and ever. May the heavens and all that you have created bless you. You made Adam.

And you gave Eve, that she might be your wife, and that you might increase, and from them was born the seed of the offspring of the living. You say, “Is it not good that a man alone? No, let us do for him a help that will support him.” And now, O Lord, between us this marriage, that I may take this woman, my sister, or in righteousness send your mercy upon me and upon her, that we may rejoice. And he said with him, “Amen.” And the house of both of them together that night. And after that, Raguel arose and went and dug a grave, saying, “He will die, he also.” And Raguel entered his house and said to Edna, his wife, “Send one of the maidservants to see them, whether they are alive or dead. If not, we will bury them without anyone knowing.” And that maidservant went and looked through the window and found them both sleeping. And she entered and informed them that they were alive. And Raguel blessed the Lord and said, “Blessed are you, O Lord, with all pure and holy blessing, and may your saints bless you in all your works, and all your angels and your chosen ones bless you in all the world. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you have made me rejoice, and as I was sad, it became for me, but with your abundant mercy you have done for me. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you have had mercy on both the lonely ones, and you have done for them, O Lord, your good deeds, that they may complete their lives in safety and in joy through your mercy.” And after that, he commanded his servants to fill up that grave. And he made for them a feast of eight and fourteen days.

And then Raguel gave his oath to Tobias that he would not go out nor go until ten days and a half of the month were completed, and after this he would go and take half of his property and go in peace to his father, and what remained after his death, he and his wife would take. Chapter 9 And Tobias called Raphael and said to him, "You, my brother Azariah, take with you two servants and two camels, and go to Rages of Media, to Gabael, and take ten talents of silver, and summon him to the wedding, for Raguel has sworn to me that I should not go out until the wedding passes, and my father-in-law will count the days, and if I delay greatly, he will be sad." And Raphael went and arrived at Gabael, and he showed him the document, and Gabael brought out that sealed bag and gave it to Raphael. And they returned in the morning together, and they arrived at the wedding, and Tobias blessed him when he brought him that silver.

Chapter 10 And Tobit, his father, was counting the days for Tobias. And when the days of their appointed time were completed and they had not come, Tobit said, “Are they perhaps ashamed, or has my son died? Or has Gabael died and not found anyone to give him the money?” And he was greatly troubled. And his wife said to him, “My son is dead. That is why I am grieved and why I weep for him.” And she said, “It is not because of my son that I am grieved, but because of the light of my eyes that you have taken from me.” And he said to her, “Be quiet and do not be foolish; he is alive.” And she said to him, “You also be quiet and do not deceive me; my son is dead. And you go along the whole road weeping for him, on the way to where he went. By day you do not eat, and by night you do not sleep, weeping for Tobias, your son.” And until the ten and a half days of the wedding feast that Raguel had promised were completed, that he would not go until the wedding feast was finished, and after the days of the wedding feast were completed, Tobias said to Raguel, “Send me now, for my father and my mother are waiting for me and they will not delay to see me.” And his father-in-law said to him, “Stay with me, and I will send to your father to tell him your news.” And Tobias said, “There is no need; send me to my father.” And Raguel arose and gave him Sarah, his wife, and half of their possessions, servants and livestock.

And he blessed them and said to them, “May the Lord of heaven make you prosper, my children, without my death.” And he said to his daughter, “Honor your mother-in-law, for from now on she is your relative; and we, for our part, shall hear good news concerning you.” And she said to him, “May Edna be saved for Tobit. You, my brother whom I love, may the Lord of heaven make you prosper and give you a son from Sarah, my daughter. May I see for you, so that I may rejoice before the Lord. And now I have entrusted you and my daughter with a pledge; may it be taken up.” And after Tobit went and blessed, the Lord blessed him, for he prospered his journey; and Raguel blessed him, and Edna his wife, and they went and approached Nineveh. Chapter 11 And then Raphael said to Tobit, “You, my brother, do you not know how your father’s sight was lost? Come, let us go before your wife, and let us prepare the house, and let us take with you the gall of that fish.” And the two of them went, and the young man who accompanied them went also. And Hannah was sitting on the road, waiting for the arrival of her son. And when she saw him coming, she rejoiced and told his father, saying, “Now your son has come, and the man who went with him has also come.” And Raphael said to Tobit, “I know how your father’s eyes will be healed. You have the gall of this fish; and when it is applied, it will scrape and remove the white film from them, and he will see clearly.” And Hannah ran and embraced the neck of her son and said to him, “From now on I may die, for I have seen you, my son.” And both of them wept.

And Tobit went out to the gate, and they embraced, and his son kissed him and raised his father up, and he rubbed the gall from his eyes. And he said to him, “Believe, father, that you have lived.” And when he had rubbed it, he wiped his eyes, and the white film was removed from his eyes, and he saw his son. And he embraced his neck and wept and said, “Blessed are you, O Lord, and may your name be blessed forever, and blessed are all your holy angels, for you have chastised us and had mercy on us, and behold, I have seen Tobias, my son.” And from then on, his son came rejoicing, and he told his father all the great things that had happened to him. And Tobit went out and received his daughter-in-law with joy, and he blessed the Lord at the gate of Nineveh. And those who saw him were amazed as he walked, and they said, “How has he seen?” And Tobit praised the Lord before them, for the God of heaven had mercy on him. And when Tobit arrived at the house of Sarah, his daughter-in-law, he blessed her and said to her, “Truly, in peace, and may the Lord who brought you to us be blessed, and may he bless your father and your mother.” And there was great joy over all his relatives who lived in Nineveh. And Achiacharus and Nasbas, his brother’s son, came, and they celebrated the feast of seven days with joy.

Chapter 12 And then Tobit called Tobiah and said to him, “See, my son, that you have given half of this property which you brought to this man who went with you, and also that you have given him a just reward.” And Tobiah said to his father, “Father, there is nothing that I deny you; if you had given him half of this property which I brought, it would be well, for he brought me to you in safety, and he healed my wife, and he brought me my sight; likewise he has healed you.” And his father said to him, “You have spoken rightly.” And he called that angel and said to him, “Take half of all the property which you brought with you, and go in peace.” And Raphael called them at that time, both of them, and he blessed them and said to them, “Bless the Lord and give thanks to him, and give glory to his name, and believe that he is before all that lives, because of all the good things he has done for you. And praise the Lord and glorify his name, and proclaim the works of the Lord; he has shown himself in glory, and do not be slow to give thanks to him. For the mystery of the kingdom is good to conceal, but the works of the Lord are to be revealed. Do good works, and evil will not find you. Good is prayer with almsgiving and righteousness; a little with righteousness is better than much wealth with iniquity, and the giving of alms is better than the possession of gold. For almsgiving saves from death and cleanses from all sin. And those who do righteousness and almsgiving will prolong their lives; but those who do evil will destroy their souls.

And now, I have hidden from you all the matter, and I will tell you that the secret of the kingdom is good to conceal, and its deeds are for the Lord to reveal in glory. And now, when I prayed for you and Sarah your bride, I offered the memorial of your prayer before the Holy of Holies. And you, when you buried the corpse, I was there with you. And when you washed yourself and arose, anointed yourself with your oil, and went to bury the corpse, and you did not commit a good deed, I was there with you. And the Lord sent me to heal you, and for Sarah your bride, to remove her sorrow. I am Raphael, one of the angels, one of the chief holy angels, who present the prayers of the saints and bring them before His praise, the Great and Holy One. And they heard this, the two of them trembled and fell on their faces, for they were afraid. And he said to them, “Do not fear; bless the Lord your God, for it is not to me that honor is due, but the will of your God brought me. Therefore, bless the God of righteousness forever, in all times. And I appeared to you, and you saw my vision; I did not eat or drink with you. And now, believe in the Lord, for I ascend to the one who sent me, and I came to write these books.” Then he arose and went, and they did not see him again. And they believed in all the works of the Lord, great and glorious, and in what the angel of the Lord had revealed to them.

Chapter 13 And Tobit prayed a prayer of joy, and said: Blessed is the Lord, who is the living one of eternity, and his kingdom is for ever and ever. And he it is who punishes and forgives, and he it is who brings down into Sheol and raises up, and there is none who can escape from his hand. And all you children of Israel, bow down to him before all the nations among whom we have been scattered. There he showed his mercy upon us, and we exalted him before all the children of the living, for he is our Lord and he is the Lord our God in the whole world. And he punishes us for all our sins, and again he forgives us and gathers us from all the nations among whom we have been scattered. And if we turn to him with all our heart and with all our soul, as we do righteousness before him, then at that time he will turn to us and will not hide his face from us, and you will see what he has done for us. And if you are with him with all your heart and with all your soul, bless the Lord and exalt the king of the world on the earth which you inhabit, and I, on the earth which I inhabit, believe in him and proclaim his power and his greatness to the sinful people. Turn, sinners, and do righteousness before him, for my Lord—who can know him? If he wills to do his mercy upon you, my gods? And my soul exalts the king of heaven; I praise the greatness of the God of righteousness in all things. And if you are in righteousness, the holy city of Jerusalem—will it not punish you for your righteous deeds? And again he will have mercy on the children of the righteous.

Praise the Lord with goodness, and bless the king of the world, that your book may be read within you with joy, and that those who are righteous may rejoice in you here, and that the wicked may be loved because of you, in every generation forever. For many peoples will come from afar to the name of the Lord, and they will bring gifts to the king of the world and to the king of heaven, for generation after generation they will praise you, O Lord, and give praise to your name. Cursed are all those who hate you, and blessed are all those who love you forever. And you will rejoice in the children of the righteous, for they will be gathered and bless you, O Lord, for blessed are those who love you and rejoice in your name. And blessed are all those who are adorned with your passion, for they will rejoice in you, having seen all your glory, and they will rejoice forever. For our soul blesses the Lord, the great king, for Jerusalem will be built with sapphire stone, and with pearl, and with precious stone, its pavements and its streets and its gates with pure gold, and its windows with crystal and with sapphire stone, and with sapphire stone it will be made, and they will say on all its paths: Hallelujah, they will praise and say: Blessed is the Lord forever and in all the world.

Chapter 14 And after this, Tobit became blind from the time he was fifty-eight years old until after fifty-eight years he saw and performed works of charity. And he again increased his fear of the Lord, and he grew old and called his son and his son's children and said to him, "My son, take your children, for I have grown old and have reached the point of death. And go to Media, for I know all that Jonah the prophet prophesied concerning Nineveh, that it would be destroyed. For in Media there will be peace until its time, and our brothers will be scattered throughout the whole earth, a blessed land. And Jerusalem also will be desolate, and the house of the Lord within it will be consumed by fire and will be desolate. And again the Lord will have mercy on them and gather them into their land, and they will rebuild his house, but not as before, until the end of the ages. And after this, they will return from where they were dispersed, and Jerusalem will be rebuilt in glory, and the house of the Lord within it will be rebuilt for all generations forever in pure glory. And all peoples will abandon their gods and will be converted to righteousness, and they will fear the Lord and bless him. And the people will believe in him, and the Lord will have mercy on his people, and all who fear the Lord in righteousness and truth will rejoice, and they will do mercy to their brothers. And now, my son, go from Nineveh, for what Jonah the prophet prophesied will come to pass.

And you, keep the law and the commandment, and be merciful, and love righteousness, so that good may be upon you. And bury me well, and do not stay with me in Nineveh, my son. And see how Haman did to Akakiros, and how he cast him from light into darkness. And if he was ransomed, as was his evil, Akakiron himself is alive, and he himself was ransomed, his ransom, and he himself fell into darkness. And Manasseh did works of charity and did righteousness, and he was saved from the punishment of death that was decreed against him. And Haman fell into that pit and died a death. And now, see, my son, how charity saves those who perform it, and fear righteousness. And having spoken thus, Tobit died, and his spirit went out upon his bed. He was one hundred and fifty-seven years old. And they buried him with honor. And when Hanna, his mother, died, Tobya, her son, buried her with his father. And Tobya went with his wife and his children to Ecbatana, to Raguel. And Raguel and Edna, his wife, died, and Tobya buried them with honor, his parents-in-law, and he inherited all their property, and that of Tobit, his father. And Tobya heard of the destruction of Nineveh before he died, as his father had told him. And they heard that Nebuchadnezzar and Ashurios destroyed Nineveh, and they rejoiced. And Tobya died at the age of one hundred and twenty