Tobit 12

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 When the wedding feast was over, Tobit cal ed his son Tobias and said, 'My son, you ought to thinkabout paying the amount due to your fellow travel er; give him more than the figure agreed on.'	1 When the wedding celebaration came to an end, Tobit called his son Tobiah and said to him, "Son, see to it that you give what is due to the man who made the journey with you; give him a bonus too."
2 'Father,' he replied, 'how much am I to give him for his help? Even if I give him half the goods hebrought back with me, I shal not be the loser.	2 Tobiah said: "Father, how much shall I pay him? It would not hurt me at all to give him half of all the wealth he brought back with me.
3 He has brought me back safe and sound, he has cured my wife, he has brought the money back too,and now he has cured you as wel . How much am I to give him for al this?'	3 He led me back safe and sound; he cured my wife; he brought the money back with me; and he cured you. How much of a bonus should I give him?"
4 Tobit said, 'He has richly earned half what he brought back'.	4 Tobit answered, "It is only fair, son, that he should receive half of all that he brought back."
5 So Tobias cal ed his companion and said, 'Take half of what you brought back, in payment for al youhave done, and go in peace.'	5 So Tobiah called Raphael and said, "Take as your wages half of all that you have brought back, and go in peace."
6 Then Raphael took them both aside and said, 'Bless God, utter his praise before al the living for thefavour he has shown you. Bless and extol his name. Proclaim before all people the deeds of God as theydeserve, and never tire of giving him thanks.	6 Raphael called the two men aside privately and said to them: "Thank God! Give him the praise and the glory. Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising him.
7 It is right to keep the secret of a king, yet right to reveal and publish the works of God as they deserve.Do what is good, and no evil can befall you.	7 A king's secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be declared and made known. Praise them with due honor. Do good, and evil will not find its way to you.
8 'Prayer with fasting and alms with uprightness are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practisealmsgiving than to hoard up gold.	8 Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving accompanied by righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than abundance with wickedness. It is better to give alms than to store up gold;
9 Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who give alms have their fill of days;	9 for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly give alms shall enjoy a full life;
10 those who commit sin and do evil bring harm on themselves.	10 but those habitually guilty of sin are their own worst enemies.
11 'I am going to tel you the whole truth, hiding nothing from you. I have already told you that it is rightto keep the secret of a king, yet right too to reveal in a worthy way the words of God.	11 "I will now tell you the whole truth; I will conceal nothing at all from you. I have already said to you, 'A king's secret it is prudent to keep, but the works of God are to be made known with due honor.'
12 So you must know that when you and Sarah were at prayer, it was I who offered your supplicationsbefore the glory of the Lord and who read them; so too when you were burying the dead.	12 I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead.
13 When you did not hesitate to get up and leave the table to go and bury a dead man, I was sent to testyour faith,	13 When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury the dead,
14 and at the same time God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.	14 I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God commissioned me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.
15 I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ever ready to enter the presence of the glory of theLord.'	15 I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord."
16 They were both overwhelmed with awe; they fel on their faces in terror.	16 Stricken with fear, the two men fell to the ground.
17 But the angel said, 'Do not be afraid; peace be with you. Bless God for ever.	17 But Raphael said to them: "No need to fear; you are safe. Thank God now and forever.
18 As far as I was concerned, when I was with you, my presence was not by any decision of mine, butby the wil of God; he is the one whom you must bless as long as you live, he the one that you must praise.	18 As for me, when I came to you it was not out of any favor on my part, but because it was God's will. So continue to thank him every day; praise him with song.
19 You thought you saw me eating, but that was appearance and no more.	19 Even though you watched me eat and drink. I did not really do so; what you were seeing was a vision.
20 Now bless the Lord on earth and give thanks to God. I am about to return to him who sent me fromabove. Write down al that has happened.' And he rose in the air.	20 So now get up from the ground and praise God. Behold, I am about to ascend to him who sent me; write down all these things that have happened to you."
21 When they stood up again, he was no longer visible. They praised God with hymns; they thanked himfor having performed such wonders; had not an angel of God appeared to them?	21 When Raphael ascended they rose to their feet and could no longer see him.
	22 They kept thanking God and singing his praises; and they continued to acknowledge these marvelous deeds which he had done when the angel of God appeared to them.