Tobit 8

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 In truth, after they had dined, they introduced the young man to her.	1 When they had finished eating and drinking, the girl's parents wanted to retire. They brought the young man out of the dining room and led him into the bedroom.
2 And so, Tobias, remembering the word of the Angel, took part of the liver from his bag, and he placed it over the live coals.	2 At this point Tobiah, mindful of Raphael's instructions, took the fish's liver and heart from the bag which he had with him, and placed them on the embers for the incense.
3 Then the Angel Raphael caught the demon, and bound him in the desert of upper Egypt.	3 The demon, repelled by the odor of the fish, fled into Upper Egypt; Raphael pursued him there and bound him hand and foot. Then Raphael returned immediately.
4 Then 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.	4 When the girl's parents left the bedroom and closed the door behind them, Tobiah arose from bed and said to his wife, "My love, get up. Let us pray and beg our Lord to have mercy on us and to grant us deliverance."
5 For 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.”	5 She got up, and they started to pray and beg that deliverance might be theirs. He began with these words: "Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever.
6 And so, rising up together, they both prayed earnestly, at the same time, that health might be given to them.	6 You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.'
7 And 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.	7 Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age."
8 You formed Adam from the mud of the earth, and you gave Eve to him as a helper.	8 They said together, "Amen, amen,"
9 And 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.”	9 and went to bed for the night. But Raguel got up and summoned his servants. With him they went out to dig a grave,
10 Sarah likewise said, “Be merciful to us, O Lord, be merciful to us. And let us both grow old together in health.”	10 for he said, "I must do this, because if Tobiah should die, we would be subjected to ridicule and insult."
11 And 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.	11 When they had finished digging the grave, Raguel went back into the house and called his wife,
12 For 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.”	12 saying, "Send one of the maids in to see whether Tobiah is alive or dead, so that if necessary we may bury him without anyone's knowing about it."
13 And when they had prepared the pit, Raguel returned to his wife, and he said to her,	13 She sent the maid, who lit a lamp, opened the bedroom door, went in, and found them sound asleep together.
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.”	14 The maid went out and told the girl's parents that Tobiah was alive, and that there was nothing wrong.
15 And so, she sent one of her maidservants, who entered the bedroom and discovered them safe and unharmed, sleeping both together.	15 Then Raguel praised the God of heaven in these words: "Blessed are you, O God, with every holy and pure blessing! Let all your chosen ones praise you; let them bless you forever!
16 And returning, she reported the good news. And they blessed the Lord: Raguel, especially, and his wife Anna.	16 Blessed are you, who have made me glad; what I feared did not happen. Rather you have dealt with us according to your great mercy.
17 And they said: “We bless you, Lord God of Israel, because it has not happened in the way that we thought it might.	17 Blessed are you, for you were merciful toward two only children. Grant them, Master, mercy and deliverance, and bring their lives to fulfillment with happiness and mercy."
18 For you have acted in your mercy toward us, and you have excluded from us the enemy who pursued us.	18 Then he told his servants to fill in the grave before dawn.
19 Moreover, 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.”	19 He asked his wife to bake many loaves of bread; he himself went out to the herd and picked out two steers and four rams which he ordered to be slaughtered. So the servants began to prepare the feast.
20 And immediately Raguel instructed his servants to refill the pit, which they had made, before daylight.	20 He summoned Tobiah and made an oath in his presence, saying: "For fourteen days you shall not stir from here, but shall remain here eating and drinking with me; and you shall bring joy to my daughter's sorrowing spirit.
21 And 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.	21 Take, to begin with, half of whatever I own when you go back in good health to your father; the other half will be yours when I and my wife die. Be of good cheer, my son! I am your father, and Edna is your mother; and we belong to you and to your beloved now and forever. So be happy, son!"
22 Likewise, 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.
23 And Raguel pleaded with Tobias to delay with him for two weeks.
24 Moreover, 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.