Tobit

Healing of Tobit

When they arrived near Kaserin, which faces the city of Nineveh,

Raphael said to Tobiah: “You know in what state your father Tobit was when we left him;

let us go ahead to prepare the house before your wife Sarah arrives.

Bring with you the gall of the fish.”The dog also went with them, walking behind them.

Now Anna was sitting there, scanning the road along which her son should return.

She saw Tobiah and Raphael coming in the distance and said to the father of Tobiah: “Your son is coming with the man who accompanied him.”

While Tobiah and Raphael were still going along the road, Raphael said to Tobiah: “I am sure that your father will regain his sight.

Rub his eyes with the fish gall, and when he feels his eyes itching, he will rub them and the film will come away like scales from his eyes. He will regain his sight and see the light.”

Anna ran to meet Tobiah and threw her arms around his neck, saying: “At last, I have seen you again, my child. Now I can die!” And both of them began to cry.

Tobit also got up and, stumbling, arrived at the door of the courtyard. Tobiah ran to him

with the fish gall in his hand. He breathed on his father’s eyes, embraced him, and said: “Father, have confidence!”

Then he spread the fish gall on Tobit’s eyes. Tobiah waited.

When his eyes began to itch, Tobit rubbed them and, with both hands, scraped off the film from the corners of his eyes. When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around Tobiah’s neck

and began to weep. He said: “Blessed be you, O God. Blessed be your name forever. Blessed be your holy angels.

You have punished me, but you have taken pity on me, and now I can see my son, Tobiah.”Tobiah was excited. After entering the house, he told his father about the important events that had happened in Media. He shared the successful results of his journey, how he had received the money, and how he had married Sarah, the daughter of Raguel, who was then nearing the gates of Nineveh.

Tobit, happy and praising God, went out to meet his daughter-in-law at the gates of Nineveh. All those who saw him, walking alone and unaided, were amazed that he could see.

Tobit proclaimed to them that God had taken pity on him and cured him. Then he went to Sarah and blessed her, saying: “Welcome, daughter! May God be blessed for having brought you to us, and may your father and mother also be blessed.”It was a day of great rejoicing for all Tobit’s relatives who lived in Nineveh.

Ahiqar, Tobit’s nephew and Nabad, arrived (from Elymiade), and the wedding celebrations lasted for a week.