Tobit

Anna then stopped crying.

The Journey

Raphael and Tobiah continued their journey, and Tobiah’s dog followed him. And that evening, they reached the river Tigris. They spent the night there.

As Tobiah went to wash his feet, a big fish rose out of the river and tried to swallow Tobiah’s foot. He shouted in alarm.

But Raphael said to Tobiah: “Catch that fish!” Tobiah seized the fish and drew it to land. Raphael then said to Tobiah:“Open the fish. Take out its heart, liver, and gall and put them away carefully. Throw away the intestines. The gall, the heart, and the liver of this fish are useful remedies.”Tobiah did as the angel told him.

He opened up the fish, kept the gall, the heart, and the liver; then they cooked the fish and ate it.

Then the two of them continued their journey until they reached Media.

Tobiah said to Raphael: “Friend Azarias, what remedy is there in the heart, the liver, and the gall of the fish?”

Raphael said to him: If you burn the heart and the liver in front of a man or woman tormented by a devil or evil spirit, their suffering will end.

As for the gall, if you smear it on a man whose eyes are clouded with a white film, his eyes will be healed.

When they had entered Media and were already approaching Ecbatana,

Raphael said to Tobiah: “Friend Tobiah.”He answered:“Here I am.”Raphael continued:“We shall spend the night at the house of Raguel. He is a relative of yours. He has no son, but an only daughter named Sarah.

I will speak to him and ask that he give her to you as your wife. He continued:

“You are the one who is nearest of kin and free to marry her. You alone are of her tribe, and you should inherit her father’s goods. The girl is wise, pleasing, courageous, and very beautiful, and her father is a good man. So listen, friend, tonight we will marry you to her. When we return from Rages, we shall take her with us and introduce her into your home. She belongs to you rather than to any other man according to the law of Moses, and any trespasser would die. So I know that Raguel will not give her to any other man.”

Then Tobiah said to Raphael: “Friend Azarias, I have heard that this girl has been given in marriage to seven husbands, and they all died in the bridal chamber. I am my father’s only son, and I fear that once I enter the room, I shall die, just like all those before me, because a demon loves her and harms those who come near her.

Well, I fear death. I also fear causing my father and mother to die of grief because of me, for they have no other son to bury them.”

The angel said to Tobiah: “Do you not remember your father’s advice to marry a woman of your tribe? Well, listen to me, my friend. She will be your wife. Do not worry about the demon, as this very night she will become your wife.

When you enter the wedding chamber, you will take some glowing embers of incense, and you will place on top of them part of the heart and liver of the fish.

As soon as the fire begins to smoke, the demon will smell it and flee, never to return. And when you go to Sarah, stand up together and call on the all-merciful God. He will keep you safe because he has compassion. Do not be afraid, because from all eternity, Sarah has been destined to be your wife. You will save her, and she will go with us. And I am sure that she will bear you children.”

When Tobiah heard Raphael’s words and learned that she was his kinswoman, related through his father’s lineage, he loved Sarah, and his heart became firmly attached to her.