Tobit 11

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Homeward Journey.1As they drew near to Kaserin, which is opposite Nineveh,2Raphael said: “You know how we left your father.3Let us hurry on ahead of your wife to prepare the house while they are still on the way.”4So both went on ahead together, and Raphael said to him, “Take the gall in your hand!” And the dog ran along behind them.

5Meanwhile, Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come.6When she saw him coming, she called to his father, “Look, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”

7Raphael said to Tobiah before he came near to his father: “I know that his eyes will be opened.8Apply the fish gall to his eyes, and the medicine will make the white scales shrink and peel off from his eyes; then your father will have sight again and will see the light of day.”

Sight Restored.9Then Anna ran up to her son, embraced him, and said to him, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” And she sobbed aloud.^a10Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate to meet his son. Tobiah went up to him11with the fish gall in his hand and blew into his eyes. Holding him firmly, he said, “Courage, father.” Then he applied the medicine to his eyes, and it made them sting.12^,13Tobiah used both hands to peel the white scales from the corners of his eyes. Tobit saw his son and threw his arms around him.14Weeping, he exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” Then he prayed,

“Blessed be God,

blessed be his great name,

and blessed be all his holy angels.

May his great name be with us,

and blessed be all the angels throughout all the ages.

15God it was who afflicted me,

and God who has had mercy on me.

Now I see my son Tobiah!”

Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice. Tobiah related to his father how his journey had been a success; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, who was about to arrive, for she was near the gate of Nineveh.^b

16Rejoicing and blessing God, Tobit went out to the gate of Nineveh to meet his daughter-in-law. When the people of Nineveh saw him coming, walking along briskly, with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed.17Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had shown mercy to him and opened his eyes. When Tobit came up to Sarah, the wife of his son Tobiah, he blessed her and said: “Welcome, my daughter! Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter! Blessed are your father and your mother. Blessed be my son Tobiah, and blessed be you, daughter! Welcome to your home with blessing and joy. Come in, daughter!” That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh.18Ahiqar and his nephew Nadin^* were also on hand to rejoice with Tobit. Tobiah’s wedding feast was celebrated with joy for seven days, and many gifts were given to him.

* [11:18] Nadin: see note on 14:10.

a. [11:9] Gn 33:4; 45:14; 46:29–30; Lk 15:20.

b. [11:15] Tb 13:2; Dt 32:39; 1 Sm 2:6.

tobit 10

Anxiety of the Parents.1Meanwhile, day by day, Tobit was keeping track of the time Tobiah would need to go and to return. When the number of days was reached and his son did not appear,2he said, “Could it be that he has been detained there? Or perhaps Gabael has died, and there is no one to give him the money?”3And he began to grieve.4His wife Anna said, “My son has perished and is no longer among the living!” And she began to weep aloud and to wail over her son:5“Alas, child, light of my eyes, that I have let you make this journey!”6But Tobit kept telling her: “Be still, do not worry, my sister; he is safe! Probably they have to take care of some unexpected business there. The man who is traveling with him is trustworthy and one of our kindred. So do not grieve over him, my sister. He will be here soon.”7But she retorted, “You be still, and do not try to deceive me! My son has perished!” She would rush out and keep watch every day at the road her son had taken. She ate nothing. After the sun had set, she would go back home to wail and cry the whole night through, getting no sleep at all.^a

Departure from Ecbatana. Now when the fourteen days of the wedding celebration, which Raguel had sworn to hold for his daughter, had come to an end, Tobiah went to him and said: “Send me off, now, since I know that my father and mother do not believe they will ever see me again. So I beg you, father, let me depart and go back to my own father. I have already told you how I left him.”8Raguel said to Tobiah: “Stay, son, stay with me. I am sending messengers to your father Tobit, and they will give him news of you.”9But Tobiah insisted, “No, I beg you to send me back to my father.”

10Raguel then promptly handed over to Tobiah his wife Sarah, together with half of all his property: male and female slaves, oxen and sheep, donkeys and camels, clothing, money, and household goods.11He saw them safely off. Embracing Tobiah, he said to him: “Farewell, son. Have a safe journey. May the Lord of heaven grant prosperity to you and to your wife Sarah. And may I see children of yours before I die!”12Then he said to his daughter Sarah, “My daughter, honor your father-in-law and your mother-in-law, because from now on they are as much your parents as the ones who brought you into the world. Go in peace, daughter; let me hear a good report about you as long as I live.” Finally he said good-bye to them and let them go.

Edna also said to Tobiah: “My child and beloved kinsman, may the Lord bring you back safely, and may I live long enough to see children of you and of my daughter Sarah before I die. Before the Lord, I entrust my daughter to your care. Never cause her grief all the days of your life. Go in peace, son. From now on I am your mother, and Sarah is your sister. Together may we all prosper throughout the days of our lives.” She kissed them both and saw them safely off.

13Tobiah left Raguel, full of happiness and joy, and he blessed the Lord of heaven and earth, the King of all, for making his journey so successful. Finally he blessed Raguel and his wife Edna, and added, “I have been commanded by the Lord to honor you all the days of your life!”

a. [10:7] Gn 45:26.

tobit 8

Expulsion of the Demon.1When they had finished eating and drinking, they wanted to retire. So they brought the young man out and led him to the bedroom.2Tobiah, mindful of Raphael’s instructions, took the fish’s liver and heart from the bag where he had them, and put them on the embers intended for incense.^*3The odor of the fish repulsed the demon, and it fled to the upper regions of Egypt;^* Raphael went in pursuit of it and there bound it hand and foot. Then Raphael returned immediately.

4When Sarah’s parents left the bedroom and closed the door behind them, Tobiah rose from bed and said to his wife, “My sister, come, let us pray and beg our Lord to grant us mercy and protection.”5She got up, and they started to pray and beg that they might be protected. He began with these words:

“Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors;

blessed be your name forever and ever!

Let the heavens and all your creation bless you forever.^a

6You made Adam, and you made his wife Eve

to be his helper and support;

and from these two the human race has come.

You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone;

let us make him a helper like himself.’^b

7Now, not with lust,

but with fidelity I take this kinswoman as my wife.

Send down your mercy on me and on her,

and grant that we may grow old together.

Bless us with children.”

---

8They said together, “Amen, amen!”9Then they went to bed for the night.

But Raguel got up and summoned his servants. They went out with him and dug a grave,10for he said, “Perhaps Tobiah will die; then we would be a laughingstock and an object of mockery.”11When they had finished digging the grave, Raguel went back into the house and called his wife,12saying, “Send one of the maids in to see whether he is alive. If he has died, let us bury him without anyone knowing about it.”13They sent the maid, lit a lamp, and opened the bedroom door; she went in and found them sleeping together.14The maid came out and told them that Tobiah was alive, and that nothing was wrong.15Then they praised the God of heaven in these words:

“Blessed are you, God, with every pure blessing!

Let all your chosen ones bless you forever!

16Blessed are you, for you have made me happy;

what I feared did not happen.

Rather you have dealt with us

according to your abundant mercy.

17Blessed are you, for you have shown mercy

toward two only children.

Grant them, Master, mercy and protection,

and bring their lives to fulfillment

with happiness and mercy.”

18Then Raguel told his servants to fill in the grave before dawn.

Wedding Feast.19He asked his wife to bake many loaves of bread; he himself went out to the herd and brought two steers and four rams, which he ordered to be slaughtered. So they began to prepare the feast.20He summoned Tobiah and said to him, “For fourteen days^* you shall not stir from here, but shall remain here eating and drinking with me; you shall bring joy to my daughter’s afflicted spirit.21Now take half of what I own here; go back in good health to your father. The other half will be yours when I and my wife die. Take courage, son! I am your father, and Edna is your mother; we belong to you and to your sister both now and forever. So take courage, son!”

* [8:2–3] The manner of coping with demonic influences among the ancients seems strange to us. However, the fish here is a folktale element, suggesting the hero’s fight with a dragon, and not a recipe for exorcism. It is clear that the author places primary emphasis on the value of prayer to God (6:18; 8:4–8), on the role of the angel as God’s agent, and on the pious disposition of Tobiah.

* [8:3] The desert was considered the dwelling place of demons. Cf. Is 13:21; 34:14; Mt 4:1; 12:43.

* [8:20] For fourteen days: because of the happy, and unexpected, turn of events, Raguel doubles the time of the wedding feast. When Tobiah returns home, the usual seven-day feast is held (11:18). Cf. Jgs 14:12.

a. [8:5] Dn 3:26.

b. [8:6] Gn 2:18–23.

"Creeping Death" Metallica

"Creeping Death" Metallica

Slaves
Hebrews born to serve, to the pharaoh
Heed
To his every word, live in fear
Faith
Of the unknown one, the deliverer
Wait
Something must be done, four hundred years

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death

Now
Let my people go, Land Of Goshen
Go
I will be with thee, bush of fire
Blood
Running red and strong, down the Nile
Plague
Darkness three days long, hail to fire

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death

Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first born man

Die by my hand
I creep across the land
Killing first born man

I
Rule the midnight air, the destroyer
Born
I shall soon be there, deadly mass
I
Creep the steps and floor, final darkness
Blood
Lamb's blood, painted door, I shall pass

So let it be written
So let it be done
I'm sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I'm creeping death