The Book of Tobit (Tobias)

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

The prayer of Tobias, and of Sara, in their several afflictions, are heard by God, and the angel Raphael is sent to relieve them.

Then Tobit sighed, and he began to pray with tears,

saying, “O Lord, you are just and all your judgments are just, and all your ways are mercy, and truth, and judgment.

And now, O Lord, remember me, and do not take vengeance for my sins, and do not call to mind my offenses, nor those of my parents.

For we have not obeyed your precepts, and so we have been handed over to plundering and to captivity, and to death, and to mockery, and as a disgrace before all the nations, among which you have dispersed us.

And now, O Lord, great are your judgments. For we have not acted according to your precepts, and we have not walked sincerely before you.

And now, O Lord, do with me according to your will, and order my spirit to be received in peace. For it is more expedient for me to die, than to live.”

And so, on the same day, it happened that Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, in Rages, a city of the Medes, also heard a reproach from one of her father’s servant maids.(a)

For she had been given to seven husbands, and a demon named Asmodeus had killed them, as soon as they had approached her.

Therefore, when she corrected the maid for her fault, she answered her, saying, “May we never see son or daughter from you upon the earth, you murderess of your husbands.

Would you also kill me, just as you have already killed seven husbands?” At these words, she proceeded to an upper room of her house. And for three days and three nights, she did not eat or drink.

But, continuing in prayer with tears, she beseeched God, so that he would liberate her from this reproach.

And it happened on the third day, while she was completing her prayer, blessing the Lord,

that she said: “Blessed is your name, O God of our fathers, who, though you had been angry, will show mercy. And in time of tribulation, you dismiss the sins of those who call upon you.

To you, O Lord, I turn my face; to you, I direct my eyes.

I beg you, O Lord, that you may absolve me from the chains of this reproach, or at least take me away from the earth.

You know, O Lord, that I have never coveted a husband, and I have preserved my soul clean from all impure desire.(b)

I have never mingled myself with those who play. And I have not presented myself as a participant with those who walk with levity.(c)

But I consented to accept a husband, in your fear, not in my lust.

And, either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me. For perhaps you have preserved me for another husband.

For your counsel is not within the ability of man.

But all who worship you are certain of this: that one’s life, if it should be tested, shall be crowned, and if it should be in tribulation, shall be delivered, and if it should be corrected, shall be permitted to approach your mercy.

For you are not delighted with our perdition. For, after a storm, you create tranquility, and after tears and weeping, you pour out exultation.

May your name, O God of Israel, be blessed forever.”

At that time, the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God.

And the holy Angel of the Lord, Raphael, was sent to care for both of them, whose prayers were recited at the same time in the sight of the Lord.

Footnotes

(a)3:7 Rages:In the Greek it is Ecbatana, which was also called Rages. For there were two cities in Media of the name of Rages. Raguel dwelt in one of them, and Gabelus in the other.(Challoner)

(b)3:16 The words ‘concupivi’ and ‘concupiscentia’ refer to impure desire of any kind, not necessarily lust.(Conte)

(c)3:17 The word ‘ludentibus’ refers to playfulness or to playing games. Sara has not joined in with those who live for their own amusement. There may also be a sexual connotation to this first part of the verse. She has not treated male-female relationships as a source of amusement. The second part of the verse is similar in meaning to the first part.(Conte)

The prayer of Tobias, and of Sara, in their several afflictions, are heard by God, and the angel Raphael is sent to relieve them.

I was grieved and wept, and prayed in sorrow, saying,

“O Lord, you are righteous, and all your works and all your ways are mercy and truth, and you judge true and righteous judgment forever.

Remember me, and look at me. Don’t take vengeance on me for my sins and my ignorances, and the sins of my fathers who sinned before you.

For they disobeyed your commandments. You gave us as plunder, for captivity, for death, and for a proverb of reproach to all the nations among whom we are dispersed.

Now your judgments are many and true, that you should deal with me according to my sins and the sins of my fathers, because we didn’t keep your commandments, for we didn’t walk in truth before you.

Now deal with me according to that which is pleasing in your sight. Command my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be released, and become earth. For it is more profitable for me to die rather than to live, because I have heard false reproaches, and there is much sorrow in me. Command that I be released from my distress, now, and go to the everlasting place. Don’t turn your face away from me.”

The same day it happened to Sarah the daughter of Raguel in Ecbatana of Media, that she also was reproached by her father’s maidservants;

because that she had been given to seven husbands, and Asmodaeus the evil spirit(a) killed them, before they had lain with her. And they said to her, “Do you not know that you strangle your husbands? You have had already seven husbands, and you haven’t borne the name of any one of them.

Why do you scourge us? If they are dead, go your ways with them. Let us never see either son or daughter from you.”

When she heard these things, she was grieved exceedingly, so that she thought about hanging herself. Then she said, “I am the only daughter of my father. If I do this, it will be a reproach to him, and I will bring down his old age with sorrow to the grave.(b)”

Then she prayed by the window, and said, “Blessed are you, O Lord my God, and blessed is your holy and honorable name forever! Let all your works praise you forever!

And now, Lord, I have set my eyes and my face toward you.

Command that I be released from the earth, and that I no longer hear reproach.

You know, Lord, that I am pure from all sin with man,

and that I never polluted my name or the name of my father in the land of my captivity. I am the only daughter of my father, and he has no child that will be his heir, nor brother near him, nor son belonging to him, that I should keep myself for a wife to him. Seven husbands of mine are dead already. Why should I live? If it doesn’t please you to kill me, command some regard to be had of me, and pity taken of me, and that I hear no more reproach.”

The prayer of both was heard before the glory of the great God.

Raphael also was sent to heal them both, to scale away the white films from Tobit’s eyes, and to give Sarah the daughter of Raguel for a wife to Tobias the son of Tobit; and to bind Asmodaeus the evil spirit(c); because it belonged to Tobias that he should inherit her. At that very time, Tobit returned and entered into his house, and Sarah the daughter of Raguel came down from her upper chamber.

Footnotes

(a)3:8 Gr. demon.

(b)3:10 Gr. Hades.