Tobit 12

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Then Tobit called his son to him, and he said to him, “What are we able to give to this holy man, who accompanied you?”
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 Tobias, answering, said to his father: “Father, what wages shall we give him? And what could be worthy of his benefits?
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 and he brought me back safely. He received the money from Gabael. He caused me to have my wife. And he confined the demon away from her. He caused joy to her parents. Myself, he rescued from being devoured by the fish. As for you, he also caused you to see the light of heaven. And so, we have been filled with all good things through him. What could we possibly give to him that would be worthy of these things?
4 Tobit said, 'He has richly earned half what he brought back'.	4 But I implore you, my father, to ask him if he would perhaps deign to take for himself half of all the things that have been brought.”
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 And calling him, the father especially, and the son, they took him aside. And they began to petition him, so that he would deign to accept ownership of one half part of all things that they had brought.
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 Then he said to them privately: “Bless the God of heaven, and confess to him in the sight of all who live, for he has acted in his mercy toward you.
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 For it is good to conceal the secret of a king, just as it is also honorable to reveal and to confess the works of God.
8 'Prayer with fasting and alms with uprightness are better than riches with iniquity. Better to practisealmsgiving than to hoard up gold.	8 Prayer with fasting is good, and almsgiving is better than hiding away gold in storage.
9 Almsgiving saves from death and purges every kind of sin. Those who give alms have their fill of days;	9 For almsgiving delivers from death, and the same is what purges sins and makes one able to find mercy and everlasting life.
10 those who commit sin and do evil bring harm on themselves.	10 But those who commit sin and iniquity are enemies to their own soul.
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 Therefore, I reveal the truth to you, and I will not hide the explanation from you.
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 When you prayed with tears, and buried the dead, and left behind your dinner, and hid the dead by day in your house, and buried them by night: I offered your prayer to the Lord.
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 And because you were acceptable to God, it was necessary for you to be tested by trials.
14 and at the same time God sent me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.	14 And now, the Lord has sent me to cure you, and to free Sarah, your son’s wife, from the demon.
15 I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ever ready to enter the presence of the glory of theLord.'	15 For I am the Angel Raphael, one of seven, who stand before the Lord.”
16 They were both overwhelmed with awe; they fel on their faces in terror.	16 And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear, they fell upon the ground on their face.
17 But the angel said, 'Do not be afraid; peace be with you. Bless God for ever.	17 And the Angel said to them: “Peace be to you. Fear not.
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 For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God. Bless him, and sing to him.
19 You thought you saw me eating, but that was appearance and no more.	19 Indeed, I seemed to eat and drink with you, but I make use of an invisible food and drink, which cannot be seen by men.
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 Therefore, it is time that I return to him who sent me. But as for you, bless God, and describe all his wonders.”
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 And when he had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they were not able to see him any longer.
	22 Then, lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, they blessed God. And rising up, they described all his wonders.