Read & explore together
Tobit's Song of Thanksgiving
This song in Tobit blesses God for his lasting rule, his justice, and his mercy. It calls God’s people to thank him openly, to turn to him wholeheartedly, and to rejoice in a hoped-for future for Jerusalem.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
Tobit writes “a prayer for rejoicing” in this Catholic additional book. The hymn begins with praise to God, speaks about Israel being scattered among the nations, urges a wholehearted turning to God, and then addresses Jerusalem with words about mercy, gathering, blessing, and praise.
Tobit 13:1–18Main takeaway
This hymn calls people to bless God for his just rule and mercy, to thank him openly, and to hope in his gathering and restoration.
Explore the prayer
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01God lives forever and rules completelyThe song opens by blessing God and his kingdom. Tobit says God lives forever, so his rule is not temporary.
Explanation
The song opens by blessing God and his kingdom. Tobit says God lives forever, so his rule is not temporary. He also says God scourges and shows mercy, leads down to the grave and brings up again. The prayer begins with God’s authority, justice, and mercy held together.
02Give thanks among the nationsTobit tells the children of Israel to give thanks before the Gentiles and declare God’s greatness there.
Explanation
Tobit tells the children of Israel to give thanks before the Gentiles and declare God’s greatness there. He says they have been scattered among them, yet God is still “our Lord” and “our Father forever”. Even while scattered, the right response is public praise and witness to God’s greatness.
03Turn with whole heart and soulThe hymn says God will scourge for iniquities and again show mercy, gathering the scattered from the nations.
Explanation
The hymn says God will scourge for iniquities and again show mercy, gathering the scattered from the nations. Tobit urges people to turn to God with their whole heart and whole soul, to do truth before him, and to give thanks fully. He also personally exalts God and calls sinners to do righteousness.
04Jerusalem, give thanks and rejoiceThe song calls all people to give thanks in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is called the holy city, and Tobit says it will be scourged and then shown mercy.
Explanation
The song calls all people to give thanks in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is called the holy city, and Tobit says it will be scourged and then shown mercy. He asks that God’s tabernacle be built there again with joy. Many nations will come with gifts. The poem also speaks of curses on haters, blessing on lovers, joy for the righteous, and gladness for those who mourned Jerusalem’s scourges.
05A city filled with beauty and praiseThe closing picture is poetic and radiant. Jerusalem is described with sapphires, emeralds, precious stones, and pure gold.
Explanation
The closing picture is poetic and radiant. Jerusalem is described with sapphires, emeralds, precious stones, and pure gold. Its streets are paved with costly stones, and all the streets speak praise, saying “Hallelujah!” The final note is not merely beauty, but a city full of blessing to God who has exalted it forever.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Which words at the start of the song show both God’s power and his mercy?
Look for the phrases about God living forever, his kingdom, scourging, showing mercy, leading down to the grave, and bringing up again.
02What does Tobit ask the scattered people to do among the Gentiles?
Notice the commands to give thanks, declare God’s greatness, extol him before all the living, and the call to turn with whole heart and soul.
03How does the song describe Jerusalem’s hoped-for future?
Collect the details about mercy, captives made glad, nations coming with gifts, blessing and rejoicing, precious stones, and streets full of praise.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Tobit 13:1–18
1And Tobit wrote a prayer for rejoicing, and said, “Blessed is God who lives forever! Blessed is his kingdom!
2For he scourges, and shows mercy. He leads down to the grave, and brings up again. There is no one who will escape his hand.
3Give thanks to him before the Gentiles, all you children of Israel! For he has scattered us among them.
4Declare his greatness, there. Extol him before all the living, because he is our Lord, and God is our Father forever.
5He will scourge us for our iniquities, and will again show mercy, and will gather us out of all the nations among whom you are all scattered.
6If you turn to him with your whole heart and with your whole soul, to do truth before him, then he will turn to you, and won’t hide his face from you. See what he will do with you. Give him thanks with your whole mouth. Bless the Lord of righteousness. Exalt the everlasting King. I give him thanks in the land of my captivity, and show his strength and majesty to a nation of sinners. Turn, you sinners, and do righteousness before him. Who can tell if he will accept you and have mercy on you?
7I exalt my God. My soul exalts the King of heaven, and rejoices in his greatness.
8Let all men speak, and let them give him thanks in Jerusalem.
9O Jerusalem, the holy city, he will scourge you for the works of your sons, and will again have mercy on the sons of the righteous.
10Give thanks to the Lord with goodness, and bless the everlasting King, that his tabernacle may be built in you again with joy, and that he may make glad in you those who are captives, and love in you forever those who are miserable.
11Many nations will come from afar to the name of the Lord God with gifts in their hands, even gifts to the King of heaven. Generations of generations will praise you, and sing songs of rejoicing.
12All those who hate you are cursed. All those who love you forever will be blessed.
13Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for the sons of the righteous; for they will be gathered together and will bless the Lord of the righteous.
14Oh blessed are those who love you. They will rejoice for your peace. Blessed are all those who mourned for all your scourges; because they will rejoice for you when they have seen all your glory. They will be made glad forever.
15Let my soul bless God the great King.
16For Jerusalem will be built with sapphires, emeralds, and precious stones; your walls and towers and battlements with pure gold.
17The streets of Jerusalem will be paved with beryl, carbuncle, and stones of Ophir.
18All her streets will say, “Hallelujah!” and give praise, saying, “Blessed be God, who has exalted you forever!”