Book of Tobit Reader

And Tobiyyah went away rejoicing and glad in heart. And he blessed the Lord, who had made him glad, and who had shewn him many wonders and great kindness. Then he went on, and came to the city Akris, which is over against Nineveh. And Raphael said, My brother Tobiyyah, thou knowest how thou didst leave thy father and thy mother. Now therefore I and thou will go first, and thy wife shall go behind us with the servants and our men. So they went on both of them. And Raphael said to Tobiyyah, Take with thee of the gall of the fish. And he took it.

And behold his mother was sitting on the highway to see whether her son would come. And she saw him afar off and knew him, and said to Tobi her husband, Behold, my son Tobiyyah cometh, and the man that went with him. Then Raphael said to Tobiyyah, I know that thy father is blind, but with this gall shall his eyes be opened, and he shall be healed.

And Hannah his mother ran to meet him, and she fell upon his neck, and said, Now will I die, now that I have seen thy face. And she wept on his neck yet more.

And Tobi arose, and went to meet his son, and he stumbled as he went, for he did not see. And Tobiyyah ran to his father, and put the gall on his eyes, and his eyes were cleared, and the whiteness fell from his eyes, and he was healed. And he saw his son, and fell on his neck, and said, Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who openeth the eyes of the blind, for he hath opened mine eyes. Blessed is he, and blessed is his name for ever and ever, who hath shewn this great kindness to me, for he smiteth and healeth, and killeth and maketh alive; and blessed, yea, blessed is he who hath prospered thy journey, and who hath brought thee back to us in peace and quietness.

Then Tobi went forth, and Hannah his wife, to meet Sarah, the daughter of Reuel, their daughter-in-law. And they rejoiced with her with great joy, and it seemed an exceeding marvellous thing in the eyes of all that saw and heard that Tobi’s eyes were healed. And Tobi blessed Sarah his daughter-in-law, saying, Blessed art thou, my daughter, of the Lord, and blessed is the Lord, who hath brought thee to us with joy. And they and all the Jews who were in Nineveh rejoiced with great joy at this great kindness which the Lord had shewn to Tobi and his son. And they gave Tobiyyah many precious gifts.

Then Tobi said to Tobiyyah his son, My son, let us give the man who went with thee his wages, and we will further add thereto. And Tobiyyah said, My father, let us give him the half of the silver which I have brought thence. For he led me in peace, and hath brought me back in peace, and hath healed my wife, and hath obtained the money from the hand of Gabael, and hath healed thine eyes. What now ought we to give him for all this?

So Tobiyyah called Raphael, and said to him, My brother Azaryah, come and take thy wages, half of the money which thou hast brought thence, for it is thy wages, and go in peace.

Then Raphael said to Tobi and to Tobiyyah his son, Sing to the Lord a new song, and bless him, and sing praise to his name for all the goodness which he hath done unto you. And continue before him in prayer and supplication and alms all the days of your lives, for it is better in the sight of the Lord to give alms always than to heap up treasures of silver and gold. For alms doth deliver from death. And I will not hide from you any of the truth. Know that at the time when thou and Sarah thy daughter-in-law did pray and make supplication before the Holy One (blessed is he), on account of the tribulation of your soul, I offered your prayer before the throne of glory; and at the time when thou wast burying the dead I was with thee; and at the feast of weeks, when thou didst leave thy table, and go to bury the dead man, I was with thee. And God hath tried thee by the blindness of thine eyes, for the Lord trieth the righteous. And at the time of thy tribulation theLord sent me to heal thee and Sarah thy daughter-in-law. Now I am the angel Raphael, one of the princes who minister before the throne of glory. And it came to pass when they heard all these sayings, they were sore afraid, and they fell on their faces.

And Raphael said to them, Peace be unto you; fear not; bless the Lord for these great and wonderful things which he hath done unto you. Now as to myself, all the time I was with you ye saw me eat and drink, for so it appeared to your eyes, yet I did neither eat nor drink. Now therefore write you all these things in a book, and it shall be for a witness between you and your God all the days of your lives, and this thing shall be for a sign and a witness amongst all generations. And bless the Lord, and praise the remembrance of his holiness. And now let me go, and I will go to the God who sent me to you. So they sent him away, and blessed the Lord for all this. And the angel of the Lord went up to heaven, and appeared no more to Tobi and his son Tobiyyah.

At that time Tobiyyah wrote down all these things with joy. And Tobi said, Blessed is the Lord the great God, who doeth marvellous things to his people and his servants. He smiteth and healeth, and killeth and maketh alive, and bringeth down to hell and lifteth up. Who hath dispersed us among the Gentiles; we are bound to publish all these marvellous works among the nations.

And ye, O children of Israel, be strong, and let your heart be of good courage, and let not your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded, and he will wait that he may be gracious unto you, and will be exalted that he may have mercy upon you. For the Lord is a God of judgment; blessed are all they that wait for him. And ye, my children, continue in alms, prayer, and supplication before the lord of all the world, for alms and prayer drive back the decree, for it is said, ‘And alms do deliver from death.’

And blessed is the Lord, who hath shewn to me and my father and my forefathers, and every one who hath trusted in him, wonders, and marvels, and great and terrible things. O lord of the world, shew us in our days salvation and redemption by the coming of the Redeemer and the building of Ariel before the eyes of all Israel, as it is said, ‘In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely;’ and it is written, ‘And the ransomed of the Lord shall return;’ and again, ‘The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.’