Tobit
Tobit, a righteous Israelite, remained faithful to God despite being taken captive by the Assyrians and suffering various afflictions, including blindness. He instructed his son Tobias to retrieve a debt from a fellow Israelite, Gabael, and to marry and have children. Tobias, accompanied by the angel Raphael, traveled to the region of the Medes, where he met and married Sarah, a woman who had been plagued by a demon that killed her previous seven husbands. With Raphael's guidance, Tobias used a fish's liver to ward off the demon and was able to consummate his marriage with Sarah. After the wedding, Tobias returned to his parents, Tobit and Anna, and used the fish's gall to restore his father's sight. The angel Raphael revealed his true identity and disappeared, and Tobit spent the rest of his life praising God and calling on the Israelites to confess and praise the Lord. Tobit lived to be 102 years old and was buried honorably, and his son Tobias lived a long and holy life, dying at the age of 99.
Chapter 1
Tobit, a righteous Israelite from the tribe of Naphtali, remained faithful to God despite being taken captive by the Assyrians. He continued to observe Jewish customs and laws, and even helped his fellow captives, earning him favor with King Shalmaneser. Tobit used his wealth to help those in need, including loaning money to a fellow Israelite, Gabael, and burying the dead. However, when King Sennacherib succeeded Shalmaneser, Tobit's actions were reported to the king, leading to an order for his execution and the seizure of his belongings.
Chapter 2
Tobit, while preparing for a feast, discovers a dead Israelite in the street and buries him in secret, despite the danger of being executed for doing so. His neighbors criticize him for this action, and Tobit becomes blind after warm droppings from a swallow's nest fall on his eyes. Despite his affliction, Tobit remains faithful to God and continues to give thanks, even when his relatives and acquaintances ridicule him. Tobit's wife Anna, who supports the family through her weaving work, brings home a young goat, but Tobit insists that it be returned to its owners, as it may be stolen, leading to an argument between them.
Chapter 3
Tobit prays to God, acknowledging his sins and those of his parents, and asks to be taken from the earth as it is better for him to die than to live in suffering. Meanwhile, Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, is also praying to God, asking to be liberated from the reproach of being a "murderess of husbands" after a demon killed her seven previous husbands on their wedding nights. Both Tobit and Sarah's prayers are heard by God, and the angel Raphael is sent to care for them.
Chapter 4
Tobit instructs his son Tobias to bury him and his mother when they die, and to honor his mother all her life. He advises Tobias to always have God in mind, give alms to the poor, and be merciful, as these actions will bring a good reward and liberate him from sin. Tobit also warns his son against fornication, arrogance, and mistreating others, and encourages him to seek the counsel of wise men and bless God at all times. He reveals that he lent ten talents of silver to Gabael in Rages and instructs Tobias to retrieve the money.
Chapter 5
Tobias expressed his concerns to his father about retrieving the money from Gabael, as he didn't know him and didn't know the way. His father reassured him that he had a written agreement and instructed him to find a trustworthy companion to travel with. Tobias met a young man, who was actually the Angel Raphael, and asked for his help in traveling to the region of the Medes. Tobit, not knowing the young man's true identity, asked him to lead his son to Gabael and return safely, and the Angel agreed.
Chapter 6
Tobias encountered a large fish while washing his feet in the Tigris River, and with the Angel's guidance, he caught and disembowelled it, setting aside its heart, gall, and liver for medicinal use. The Angel explained the remedies: the heart's smoke would drive away demons, and the gall would cure eye afflictions. The Angel then directed Tobias to stay with Raguel, a relative, and to ask for his daughter Sarah's hand in marriage, despite her previous seven husbands having been killed by a demon. The Angel advised Tobias to remain continent for three days after the wedding, praying with Sarah, and to burn the fish's liver to drive away the demon, after which they could consummate their marriage and have healthy children.
Chapter 7
Tobias and the angel arrived at Raguel's house, where they were warmly received. Raguel, recognizing the resemblance between Tobias and his cousin Tobit, inquired about their origins and learned that Tobias was Tobit's son. Raguel, overjoyed, welcomed Tobias as his nephew and, after some hesitation due to the fate of Sarah's previous seven suitors, agreed to give her to Tobias in marriage, as the angel reassured him that Tobias was a suitable match. The marriage was then formalized with a written record and a blessing from God.
Chapter 8
Tobias, remembering the angel's words, used the liver to ward off the demon and then exhorted Sarah to pray with him for three nights before consummating their marriage. They prayed together, asking for health and a blessed union, and Tobias expressed his desire to marry Sarah for the sake of posterity and to honor God. Meanwhile, Raguel, thinking Tobias might have met the same fate as Sarah's previous husbands, prepared a grave, but upon discovering the couple safe and unharmed, he and his wife rejoiced and blessed the Lord. Raguel then celebrated the marriage with a feast and gave half of his possessions to Tobias, with the promise of the remaining half after their deaths.
Chapter 9
Tobias asked Raphael to travel to Rages to retrieve money from Gabael and to invite him to the wedding celebration, as his father was anxiously awaiting his return. Raphael borrowed servants and camels from Raguel and successfully retrieved the money, then brought Gabael to the wedding. Upon arrival, Gabael was overjoyed to see Tobias and blessed him, his wife, and his family, wishing them many generations of blessings from God. The group then celebrated the marriage feast with reverence for the Lord.
Chapter 10
Tobit and his wife Anna were worried and weeping because their son Tobias had not returned on the appointed day, fearing something had happened to him. Tobit tried to calm his wife, assuring her that Tobias was safe with the faithful man they had sent him with. Meanwhile, Raguel told Tobias to stay and he would send word to Tobit about his health, but Tobias was anxious to return to his parents. Raguel eventually gave Tobias his blessing, along with half of his possessions, and sent him off with a prayer for his safe journey and the well-being of his parents.
Chapter 11
Tobias and Raphael returned to Tobit's home, with Raphael instructing Tobias to anoint his father's eyes with the gall of the fish to restore his sight. Upon arrival, Tobit's wife Anna saw her son approaching and informed her husband, who then ran to meet him. After adoring God and giving thanks, Tobias anointed his father's eyes, and his sight was restored.
Chapter 12
Tobit and his son Tobias discuss what to give to the holy man who accompanied Tobias on his journey, but the man, who is revealed to be the Angel Raphael, refuses their offer and instead tells them to bless God and reveal His works. Raphael explains that he was sent by God to cure Tobit and free Sarah from the demon, and that he was with them by God's will. After revealing his true identity, Raphael disappears from their sight, and Tobit and Tobias spend three hours prostrate on the ground, blessing God and describing His wonders.
Chapter 13
Tobit praises the Lord for his eternal kingdom and power to both scourge and save, and he calls on the Israelites to confess and praise the Lord among the nations. He acknowledges that the Lord has chastised them for their iniquities, but will save them due to his mercy. Tobit expresses his own joy and gratitude, and he looks forward to the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the gathering of the captives, when the city will shine with a splendid light and be revered by the nations.
Chapter 14
Tobit lived 42 years after regaining his sight and was buried honorably at Nineveh at the age of 102. Before his death, he called his son and grandsons, warning them that Nineveh would soon pass away and urging them to serve the Lord in truth and do what pleases him. After Tobit's death, his son Tobias left Nineveh with his family and returned to his father-in-law, Raguel, whom he found in good health and cared for until his death. Tobias lived to see his great-great-grandchildren and was buried at the age of 99, with his family continuing to live a good and holy life.
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