Tobit 8

1And after they had supped, they brought in the young man to her.

2And Tobias remembering the angel’s word, took out of his bag part of the liver, and laid it upon burning coals.

3Then the angel Raphael took the devil, and bound him in the desert of upper Egypt.

4Then Tobias exhorted the virgin, and said to her: Sara, arise, and let us pray to God today, and tomorrow, and the next day: because for these three nights we are joined to God: and when the third night is over, we will be in our own wedlock.

5For we are the children of saints, and we must not be joined together like heathens that know not God.

6So they both arose, and prayed earnestly both together that health might be given them,

7And Tobias said: Lord God of our father, may the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all thy creatures that are in them, bless thee.

8Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth, and gavest him Eve for a helper.

9And now, Lord, thou knowest, that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister to wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which thy name may be blessed for ever and ever.

10Sara also said: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, and let us grow old both together in health.

11And it came to pass about the cockcrowing, Raguel ordered his servants to be called for, and they went with him together to dig a grave.

12For he said: Lest perhaps it may have happened to him, in like manner as it did to the other seven husbands, that went in unto her.

13And when they had prepared the pit, Raguel went back to his wife, and said to her:

14Send one of thy maids, and let her see if he be dead, that I may bury him before it be day.

15So she sent one of her maidservants, who went into the chamber, and found them safe and sound, sleeping both together.

16And returning she brought the good news: and Raguel and Anna his wife blessed the Lord,

17And said: We bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, because it hath not happened as we suspected.

18For thou hast shewn thy mercy to us, and hast shut out from us the enemy that persecuted us.

19And thou hast taken pity upon two only children. Make them, O Lord, bless thee more fully: and to offer up to thee a sacrifice of thy praise, and of their health, that all nations may know, that thou alone art God in all the earth.

20And immediately Raguel commanded his servants, to fill up the pit they had made, before it was day.

21And he spoke to his wife to make ready a feast, and prepare all kind of provisions that are necessary for such as go a journey.

22He caused also two fat kine, and four wethers to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared for all his neighbours, and all his friends.

23And Raguel adjured Tobias, to abide with him two weeks.

24And of all things which Raguel possessed, he gave one half to Tobias, and made him a writing, that the half that remained should after their decease come also to Tobias.

1Postquam vero cœnaverunt, introduxerunt juvenem ad eam.

2Recordatus itaque Tobias sermonum angeli, protulit de cassidili suo partem jecoris, posuitque eam super carbones vivos.

3Tunc Raphaël angelus apprehendit dæmonium, et religavit illud in deserto superioris Ægypti.

4Tunc hortatus est virginem Tobias, dixitque ei: Sara, exsurge, et deprecemur Deum hodie, et cras, et secundum cras: quia his tribus noctibus Deo jungimur; tertia autem transacta nocte, in nostro erimus conjugio.

5Filii quippe sanctorum sumus, et non possumus ita conjungi sicut gentes quæ ignorant Deum.

6Surgentes autem pariter, instanter orabant ambo simul, ut sanitas daretur eis.

7Dixitque Tobias: Domine Deus patrum nostrorum, benedicant te cæli et terræ, mareque et fontes, et flumina, et omnes creaturæ tuæ quæ in eis sunt.

8Tu fecisti Adam de limo terræ, dedistique ei adjutorium Hevam.

9Et nunc Domine, tu scis quia non luxuriæ causa accipio sororem meam conjugem, sed sola posteritatis dilectione, in qua benedicatur nomen tuum in sæcula sæculorum.

10Dixit quoque Sara: Miserere nobis Domine, miserere nobis, et consenescamus ambo pariter sani.

11Et factum est circa pullorum cantum, accersiri jussit Raguel servos suos, et abierunt cum eo pariter ut foderent sepulchrum.

12Dicebat enim: Ne forte simili modo evenerit ei, quo et ceteris illis septem viris qui sunt ingressi ad eam.

13Cumque parassent fossam, reversus Raguel ad uxorem suam, dixit ei:

14Mitte unam de ancillis tuis, et videat si mortuus est, ut sepeliam eum antequam illucescat dies.

15At illa misit unam ex ancillis suis. Quæ ingressa cubiculum, reperit eos salvos et incolumes, secum pariter dormientes.

16Et reversa nuntiavit bonum nuntium: et benedixerunt Dominum, Raguel videlicet et Anna uxor ejus,

17et dixerunt: Benedicimus te, Domine Deus Israël, quia non contigit quemadmodum putabamus.

18Fecisti enim nobiscum misericordiam tuam, et exclusisti a nobis inimicum persequentem nos.

19Misertus es autem duobus unicis. Fac eos, Domine, plenius benedicere te, et sacrificium tibi laudis tuæ et suæ sanitatis offerre, ut cognoscat universitas gentium quia tu es Deus solus in universa terra.

20Statimque præcepit servis suis Raguel ut replerent fossam quam fecerant priusquam elucesceret.

21Uxori autem suæ dixit ut instrueret convivium, et præpararet omnia quæ in cibos erant iter agentibus necessaria.

22Duas quoque pingues vaccas, et quatuor arietes, occidi fecit, et parari epulas omnibus vicinis suis, cunctisque amicis.

23Et adjuravit Raguel Tobiam ut duas hebdomadas moraretur apud se.

24De omnibus autem quæ possidebat Raguel, dimidiam partem dedit Tobiæ, et fecit scripturam, ut pars dimidia quæ supererat, post obitum eorum Tobiæ dominio deveniret.

1In truth, after they had dined, they introduced the young man to her.

2And so, Tobias, remembering the word of the Angel, took part of the liver from his bag, and he placed it over the live coals.

3Then the Angel Raphael caught the demon, and bound him in the desert of upper Egypt.

4Then Tobias exhorted the virgin, and he said to her: “Sarah, get up and let us pray to God this day, and tomorrow, and the following day. For, during these three nights, we are being joined to God. And then, when the third night has passed, we ourselves will be joined together.

5For certainly, we are the children of the saints, and we must not be joined together in such a manner as the heathens, who are ignorant of God.”

6And so, rising up together, they both prayed earnestly, at the same time, that health might be given to them.

7And Tobias said: “Lord, the God of our fathers, may the heavens and the earth bless you, and the sea, and the fountains, and the rivers, and all your creatures that are in them.

8You formed Adam from the mud of the earth, and you gave Eve to him as a helper.

9And now, O Lord, you know that I take my sister in conjugal union, not by reason of worldly pleasure, but solely for the love of posterity, in which your name may be blessed forever and ever.”

10Sarah likewise said, “Be merciful to us, O Lord, be merciful to us. And let us both grow old together in health.”

11And it happened, about the time of the rooster’s crowing, that Raguel ordered his servants to be summoned, and they went out with him together to dig a grave.

12For he said, “Lest perhaps, in the same way, it may have happened to him, as it did also to the other seven men who approached her.”

13And when they had prepared the pit, Raguel returned to his wife, and he said to her,

14“Send one of your maids, and let her see if he is dead, so that I may bury him before the dawn of day.”

15And so, she sent one of her maidservants, who entered the bedroom and discovered them safe and unharmed, sleeping both together.

16And returning, she reported the good news. And they blessed the Lord: Raguel, especially, and his wife Anna.

17And they said: “We bless you, Lord God of Israel, because it has not happened in the way that we thought it might.

18For you have acted in your mercy toward us, and you have excluded from us the enemy who pursued us.

19Moreover, you have had compassion on two only children. Make them, O Lord, able to bless you more fully and to offer you a sacrifice of your praise and of their health, so that all peoples everywhere may know that you alone are God in all the earth.”

20And immediately Raguel instructed his servants to refill the pit, which they had made, before daylight.

21And then he told his wife to make ready a feast, and to prepare all the provisions that are necessary for those who undertake a journey.

22Likewise, he caused two fat cows and four rams to be killed, and a banquet to be prepared for all his neighbors and every one of his friends.

23And Raguel pleaded with Tobias to delay with him for two weeks.

24Moreover, of all the things that Raguel possessed, he gave one half part to Tobias, and he made a writing, so that the half that remained should also pass into the ownership of Tobias, after their deaths.