Tobit 7

¹ As they entered Ecbatana, Tobias said, 'Brother Azarias, take me at once to our brother Raguel's.' Andhe showed him the way to the house of Raguel, whom they found sitting beside his courtyard door. They greetedhim first, and he replied, 'Welcome and greetings, brothers.' And he took them into his house.

² He said to his wife Edna, 'How like my brother Tobit this young man is!'

³ Edna asked them where they came from; they said, 'We are sons of Naphtali exiled in Nineveh.'

⁴ 'Do you know our brother Tobit?' 'Yes.' 'How is he?'

⁵ 'He is alive and wel .' And Tobias added, 'He is my father.'

⁶ Raguel leapt to his feet and kissed him and wept.

⁷ Then, finding words, he said, 'Blessings on you, child! You are the son of a noble father. How sad it isthat someone so bright and ful of good deeds should have gone blind!' He fel on the neck of his kinsman Tobiasand wept.

⁸ And his wife Edna wept for him, and so did his daughter Sarah.

⁹ Raguel kil ed a ram from the flock, and they gave them a warm welcome. They washed and bathed andsat down to table. Then Tobias said to Raphael, 'Brother Azarias, wil you ask Raguel to give me my sisterSarah?'

¹⁰ Raguel overheard the words, and said to the young man, 'Eat and drink, and make the most of yourevening; no one else has the right to take my daughter Sarah -- no one but you, my brother. In any case even Iam not at liberty to give her to anyone else, since you are her next of kin. However, my boy, I must be frank with you:

¹¹ I have tried to find a husband for her seven times among our kinsmen, and al of them have died thefirst evening, on going to her room. But for the present, my boy, eat and drink; the Lord wil grant you his graceand peace.' Tobias spoke out, 'I wil not hear of eating and drinking til you have come to a decision about me.'Raguel answered, 'Very wel . Since, by the prescription of the Book of Moses she is given to you, Heaven itselfdecrees she shal be yours. I therefore entrust your sister to you. From now on you are her brother and she isyour sister. She is given to you from today for ever. The Lord of heaven favour you tonight, my child, and grantyou his grace and peace.'

¹² Raguel called for his daughter Sarah, took her by the hand and gave her to Tobias with these words, 'Ientrust her to you; the law and the ruling recorded in the Book of Moses assign her to you as your wife. Takeher; bring her home safe and sound to your father's house. The God of heaven grant you a good journey inpeace.'

¹³ Then he turned to her mother and asked her to fetch him writing paper. He drew up the marriagecontract, and so he gave his daughter as bride to Tobias according to the ordinance of the Law of Moses.

¹⁴ After this they began to eat and drink.

¹⁵ Raguel called his wife Edna and said, 'My sister, prepare the second room and take her there.'

¹⁶ She went and made the bed in this room as he had ordered, and took her daughter to it. She weptover her, then wiped away her tears and said, 'Courage, daughter! May the Lord of heaven turn your grief to joy!Courage, daughter!' And she went out.