Tobias, Sarah and Raphael: The Journey and the Marriage

Tobit 3

⁷ The same day it happened to Sarah the daughter of Raguel in Ecbatana of Media, that she also was reproached by her father’s maidservants;

⁸ because that she had been given to seven husbands, and Asmodaeus the evil spirit killed them, before they had lain with her. And they said to her, “Do you not know that you strangle your husbands? You have had already seven husbands, and you haven’t borne the name of any one of them.

⁹ Why do you scourge us? If they are dead, go your ways with them. Let us never see either son or daughter from you.”

¹⁰ When she heard these things, she was grieved exceedingly, so that she thought about hanging herself. Then she said, “I am the only daughter of my father. If I do this, it will be a reproach to him, and I will bring down his old age with sorrow to the grave.”

¹¹ Then she prayed by the window, and said, “Blessed are you, O Lord my God, and blessed is your holy and honorable name forever! Let all your works praise you forever!

¹² And now, Lord, I have set my eyes and my face toward you.

¹³ Command that I be released from the earth, and that I no longer hear reproach.

¹⁴ You know, Lord, that I am pure from all sin with man,

¹⁵ and that I never polluted my name or the name of my father in the land of my captivity. I am the only daughter of my father, and he has no child that will be his heir, nor brother near him, nor son belonging to him, that I should keep myself for a wife to him. Seven husbands of mine are dead already. Why should I live? If it doesn’t please you to kill me, command some regard to be had of me, and pity taken of me, and that I hear no more reproach.”

¹⁶ The prayer of both was heard before the glory of the great God.

¹⁷ Raphael also was sent to heal them both, to scale away the white films from Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel for a wife to Tobias the son of Tobit; and to bind Asmodaeus the evil spirit; because it belonged to Tobias that he should inherit her. At that very time, Tobit returned and entered into his house, and Sarah the daughter of Raguel came down from her upper chamber.

Tobit 4

²⁰ And now I explain to you about the ten talents of silver, which I left in trust with Gabael the son of Gabrias at Rages of Media.

²¹ And fear not, my child, because we are made poor. You have much wealth, if you fear God, and depart from all sin, and do that which is pleasing in his sight.”

Tobit 5

¹ Then Tobias answered and said to him, “Father, I will do all things, whatever you have commanded me.

² But how could I receive the money, since I don’t know him?”

³ He gave him the handwriting, and said to him, “Seek a man who will go with you, and I will give him wages, while I still live; and go and receive the money.”

⁴ He went to seek a man, and found Raphael who was an angel;

⁵ and he didn’t know it. He said to him, “Can I go with you to Rages of Media? Do you know those places well?”

⁶ The angel said to him, “I will go with you. I know the way well. I have lodged with our brother Gabael.”

⁷ Tobias said to him, “Wait for me, and I will tell my father.”

⁸ He said to him, “Go, and don’t wait. And he went in and said to his father, “Behold, I have found someone who will go with me.” But he said, “Call him to me, that I may know of what tribe he is, and whether he be a trustworthy man to go with you.”

⁹ So he called him, and he came in, and they saluted one another.

¹⁰ And Tobit said to him, “Brother, of what tribe and of what family are you? Tell me.”

¹¹ He said to him, “Do you seek a tribe and a family, or a hired man which will go with your son?” And Tobit said to him, “I want to know, brother, your kindred and your name.”

¹² And he said, “I am Azarias, the son of Ananias the great, of your kindred.”

¹³ And he said to him, “Welcome, brother. Don’t be angry with me, because I sought to know your tribe and family. You are my brother, of an honest and good lineage; for I knew Ananias and Jathan, the sons of Shemaiah the great, when we went together to Jerusalem to worship, and offered the firstborn, and the tenths of our increase; and they didn’t go astray in the error of our kindred. My brother, you are of a great stock.

¹⁴ But tell me, what wages shall I give you? A drachma a day, and those things that be necessary for you, as to my son?

¹⁵ And moreover, if you both return safe and sound, I will add something to your wages.”

¹⁶ And so they agreed. And he said to Tobias, “Prepare yourself for the journey. May God prosper you.” So his son prepared what was needful for the journey, and his father said to him, “Go with this man; but God, who dwells in heaven, will prosper your journey. May his angel go with you.” Then they both departed, and the young man’s dog went with them.

¹⁷ But Anna his mother wept, and said to Tobit, “Why have you sent away our child? Isn’t he the staff of our hand, in going in and out before us?

¹⁸ Don’t be greedy to add money to money; but let it be as refuse compared to our child.

¹⁹ For what the Lord has given us to live is enough for us.”

²⁰ Tobit said to her, “Don’t worry, my sister. He will return safe and sound, and your eyes will see him.

²¹ For a good angel will go with him. His journey will be prospered, and he will return safe and sound.”

²² So she stopped weeping.

Tobit 6

¹ Now as they went on their journey, they came at evening to the river Tigris, and they lodged there.

² But the young man went down to wash himself, and a fish leaped out of the river, and would have swallowed up the young man.

³ But the angel said to him, “Grab the fish!” So the young man grabbed the fish, and hauled it up onto the land.

⁴ And the angel said to him, “Cut the fish open, and take the heart, the liver, and the bile, and keep them with you.”

⁵ And the young man did as the angel commanded him; but they roasted the fish, and ate it. And they both went on their way, till they drew near to Ecbatana.

⁶ The young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, of what use is the heart, the liver, and the bile of the fish?”

⁷ He said to him, “About the heart and the liver: If a demon or an evil spirit troubles anyone, we must burn those and make smoke of them before the man or the woman, and the affliction will flee.

⁸ But as for the bile, it is good to anoint a man that has white films in his eyes, and he will be healed.”

⁹ But when they drew near to Rages,

¹⁰ the angel said to the young man, “Brother, today we will lodge with Raguel. He is your kinsman. He has an only daughter named Sarah. I will speak about her, that she should be given to you for a wife.

¹¹ For her inheritance belongs to you, and you only are of her kindred.

¹² The maid is fair and wise. And now hear me, and I will speak to her father. When we return from Rages we will celebrate the marriage; for I know that Raguel may in no way marry her to another according to the law of Moses, or else he would be liable to death, because it belongs to you to take the inheritance, rather than any other.”

¹³ Then the young man said to the angel, “Brother Azarias, I have heard that this maid has been given to seven men, and that they all perished in the bride-chamber.

¹⁴ Now I am the only son of my father, and I am afraid, lest I go in and die, even as those before me. For a demon loves her, which harms no man, but those which come to her. Now I fear lest I die, and bring my father’s and my mother’s life to the grave with sorrow because of me. They have no other son to bury them.”

¹⁵ But the angel said to him, “Don’t you remember the words which your father commanded you, that you should take a wife of your own kindred? Now hear me, brother; for she will be your wife. Don’t worry about the demon; for this night she will be given you as wife.

¹⁶ And when you come into the bride-chamber, you shall take the ashes of incense, and shall lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish, and shall make smoke with them.

¹⁷ The demon will smell it, and flee away, and never come again any more. But when you go near to her, both of you rise up, and cry to God who is merciful. He will save you, and have mercy on you. Don’t be afraid, for she was prepared for you from the beginning; and you will save her, and she will go with you. And I suppose that you will have children with her.” When Tobias heard these things, he loved her, and his soul was strongly joined to her.

Tobit 7

¹ They came to Ecbatana, and arrived at the house of Raguel. But Sarah met them; and she greeted them, and they her. Then she brought them into the house.

² Raguel said to Edna his wife, “This young man really resembles Tobit my cousin!”

³ And Raguel asked them, “Where are you two from, kindred?” They said to him, “We are of the sons of Naphtali, who are captives in Nineveh.”

⁴ He said to them, “Do you know Tobit our brother?” They said, “We know him.” Then he said to them, “Is he in good health?”

⁵ They said, “He is both alive, and in good health.” Tobias said, “He is my father.”

⁶ And Raguel sprang up, and kissed him, wept,

⁷ blessed him, and said to him, “You are the son of an honest and good man.” When he had heard that Tobit had lost his sight, he was grieved, and wept;

⁸ and Edna his wife and Sarah his daughter wept. They received them gladly; and they killed a ram of the flock, and served them meat. But Tobias said to Raphael, “Brother Azarias, speak of those things of which you talked about in the way, and let the matter be finished.”

⁹ So he communicated the thing to Raguel. Raguel said to Tobias, “Eat, drink, and make merry:

¹⁰ for it belongs to you to take my child. However I will tell you the truth.

¹¹ I have given my child to seven men of our relatives, and whenever they came in to her, they died in the night. But for the present be merry.” And Tobias said, “I will taste nothing here, until you all make a covenant and enter into that covenant with me.”

¹² Raguel said, “Take her to yourself from now on according to custom. You are her relative, and she is yours. The merciful God will give all good success to you.”

¹³ And he called his daughter Sarah, and took her by the hand, and gave her to be wife of Tobias, and said, “Behold, take her to yourself after the law of Moses, and lead her away to your father.” And he blessed them.

¹⁴ He called Edna his wife, then took a book, wrote a contract, and sealed it.

¹⁵ Then they began to eat.

¹⁶ And Raguel called his wife Edna, and said to her, “Sister, prepare the other chamber, and bring her in there.”

¹⁷ She did as he asked her, and brought her in there. She wept, and she received the tears of her daughter, and said to her,

¹⁸ “Be comforted, my child. May the Lord of heaven and earth give you favor for this your sorrow. Be comforted, my daughter.”

Tobit 8

¹ When they had finished their supper, they brought Tobias in to her.

² But as he went, he remembered the words of Raphael, and took the ashes of the incense, and put the heart and the liver of the fish on them, and made smoke with them.

³ When the demon smelled that smell, it fled into the uppermost parts of Egypt, and the angel bound him.

⁴ But after they were both shut in together, Tobias rose up from the bed, and said, “Sister, arise, and let’s pray that the Lord may have mercy on us.”

⁵ And Tobias began to say, “Blessed are you, O God of our fathers, and blessed is your holy and glorious name forever. Let the heavens bless you, and all your creatures.

⁶ You made Adam, and gave him Eve his wife for a helper and support. From them came the seed of men. You said, it is not good that the man should be alone. Let’s make him a helper like him.

⁷ And now, O Lord, I take not this my sister for lust, but in truth. Command that I may find mercy and grow old with her.”

⁸ She said with him, “Amen.” And they both slept that night.

⁹ Raguel arose, and went and dug a grave,

¹⁰ saying, “Lest he also should die.”

¹¹ And Raguel came into his house,

¹² and said to Edna his wife, “Send one of the maidservants, and let them see if he is alive. If not, we will bury him, and no man will know it.”

¹³ So the maidservant opened the door, and went in, and found them both sleeping,

¹⁴ and came out, and told them that he was alive.

¹⁵ Then Raguel blessed God, saying, “Blessed are you, O God, with all pure and holy blessing! Let your saints bless you, and all your creatures! Let all your angels and your elect bless you forever!

¹⁶ Blessed are you, because you have made me glad; and it has not happened to me as I suspected; but you have dealt with us according to your great mercy.

¹⁷ Blessed are you, because you have had mercy on two that were the only begotten children of their parents. Show them mercy, O Lord. Fulfill their life in health with gladness and mercy.

¹⁸ He commanded his servants to fill the grave.

¹⁹ He kept the wedding feast for them fourteen days.

²⁰ Before the days of the wedding feast were finished, Raguel sware to him, that he should not depart till the fourteen days of the wedding feast were fulfilled;

²¹ and that then he should take half of his goods, and go in safety to his father; and the rest, said he, when my wife and I die.